A Modern Goddess
by PurpleEyesLioness
Summary: "Love," She thought about this for a moment and remembered falling in love, in fact, with the man in front of her."I didn't think of this. I'm sorry but you may be right. Do you think they could be soulmates?" She asked,unaware of the danger of her words.
1. Chapter 1

**Preface**

"Where is she!" His voice sliced through the air like hammers on steel. Two metal crutches that looked oddly like toy robots held him up. One was gold and the other silver. They supported the strong man, his legs dangled, weak and useless. The god was repulsive but still intimidating. His face could be called something like ugly, but he glowed with importance. His strong body was layered in grime and sweat. He looked like an extreme body builder, except for one thing. He didn't have the confidence you would usually find on a face that belonged to a body like that.

"What is troubling you, Hephaestus?" A man that could only be the almighty Zeus looked at Hephaestus with confused and irritated eyes. Hephaestus had reached the two thrones In the middle of the row. His face was still red with frustration, but it increased when he heard Zeus.

"You know who I am talking of! Where did you put her? Only you could cause this!" Hephaestus seemed to be on the verge of exploding. "I have searched the universe over and over in my free time!" He said this truthfully, but Hephaestus had never had much free time.

"Hephaestus, you try my patience. May we talk about this elsewhere? You are making a fool of yourself." Lightning bolts seemed to strike with the flash of his eyes. Hephaestus was intimidating, but compared to Zeus he was like a pebble to a mountain.

"Zeus, what is he rambling about?" A beautiful, elegant, cat-like woman cut into the conversation. Her eyes snapped with ferocity at her husband. She was none other than Hera. She is the Goddess of marriage and the Queen of Olympians.

Zeus sat at her side uncomfortably. He shifted and stood, then glared at Hephaestus with deadly eyes. Hephaestus couldn't help but flinch. The Olympians began to gossip around them, wondering what was going on. None of the eyes looked away from Zeus, Hephaestus, or Hera. If their eyes did leave, it was because Hera made eye contact. No one in their right mind wanted to get on her bad side.

The Gods' gazes trailed after the trio as Hephaestus followed Zeus and Hera through a marble hall. Zeus was even more masculine than Hephaestus. The statues dedicated to him did not serve him justice. Power and Godliness was embedded in his every step. He was the king. No mortal or immortal could mistake him for any less.

They walked through grand doors that stood fifteen feet high. They were made of pure crystal with silver doorknobs. Everything sparkled. The site behind the door was blinding. Hephaestus stumbled slightly but recovered. After all, he had created all the furniture in here. He just hadn't seen it all put together.

The floors were tiled with sapphires and emeralds. The walls seemed to reach past the sky; in fact there might have been no ceilings. Clouds blocked their view, so he had no idea whether there was an end or not. Shelves and shelves of books and scrolls, plaques of brass and diamond, stone inscriptions and paintings decorated the room. It seemed to hold the history of every star in the sky.

Zeus sat on a ruby throne behind a glossy marble desk with a gaping crack down the center of the rock. Zeus touched it lightly and reminded Hera that he needed to get that fixed. Ignoring him, Hera walked to a tall window that looked out across Mount Olympus and Greece. Her face was troubled and angry. It was a widely known fact that Hera must know everything before everyone. If not, there are punishments.

Hephaestus was still bursting with frustration. His voice was strained when he said, "So? Where is she?" He couldn't help yelling. The jewels sparked red hot under his feet.

"Zeus, my dear, I seem to be uninformed of something important. Please, enlighten me." Her context seemed to be just curious, but her tone and face said otherwise. Her voice felt like a cold knife shooting through Hephaestus' spine. His knees buckled.

"It's nothing really, Hera. Hephaestus is just…" Zeus' voice trailed off. He was in trouble. Secrets are not good in a marriage, if anyone should know that, it's Hera. "I did not wish to involve you in such foolishness." His voice was reassuring, but his eyes sparkled with fear. Hera is a powerful being.

"Oh, well, now that I am involved, I'd better know what it is I'm involved in." She stepped behind Zeus to lay cold fingers on his shoulder. Zeus' eyes twitched from the terrible pain she must have shot through his whole frame.

"He has stolen Aphrodite!" Hephaestus roared. His whole body trembled with anger. The most beautiful woman was his, and she had suddenly disappeared two decades ago. (When you live forever a decade feels like a month.) The air around him sparked and snapped, as if he was exuding fire. The bushy red hair on his head flickered like flames, as well as the thick beard. But that was nothing compared to Hera's fury.

"Stolen Aphrodite? She is quite an extravagant woman. I and all those poor, wretched, ugly mortals you hunger for aren't enough?" Hera dropped her pleasant routine. Her black hair flew out of its elegant braids and snapped around her face as if a wicked wind thrashed around her. The room turned dark and cold. Zeus sat still in his chair, clenched fists on his desk, and lips pursed. He knew he had to wait out her tantrum to explain. Hephaestus felt very much out of place.

_He deserves all of this_! Hephaestus thought to himself triumphantly, even though a small part of him pitied Zeus. Hera had quite a temper and only he would put up with it. _She will be with me again._ Hephaestus left without being noticed. He didn't want to be a victim of Hera's most recent fit. And he had to find Aphrodite. He left thinking up new places to look.

The storm continued after he left. Zeus was steady, blocking out Hera's insults. She screeched at him, smacked him, and threw vases, books, and chairs at him. He barely even winced.

Once Hera realized that Zeus was hardly receiving her blows, she flung her hand out in his direction, his ruby chair flung back to the wall with some force that came from her fingers. Zeus looked up at her. It was his turn to talk. Hera walked in front of him, looking like a jungle cat glaring down her prey. He smiled, hoping to ease her tension.

The grin on his face set her off again. The clouds above them turned deep gray, almost black. Rain fell and thunder boomed, but no lightning. Not yet.

The other Olympians waited outside the crystal door, hearing the crashes and screams. Their faces were grim. They knew that if what Hera said was true, she may destroy the human world, maybe the whole universe. Just when they were starting to enjoy playing with the humans…

By the time Hera stopped screaming, she replaced herself in front of her husband. He sat chained to the chair with shackles of lava. He was sweating with pain and biting his lower lip hard enough to crack a mountain.

"No excuses?" She again retained the smooth, deadly voice she had when Hephaestus arrived.

"No excuses, just the truth. I did not take Aphrodite. I do not have her here or anywhere. She is with Gaia." Gaia is the name of the Goddess Earth. "She wished to be with someone other than Hephaestus, the only place that would be possible is on Earth." Hera wiggled her fingers at the sky and muddy gray clouds came to serve as a seat for her. She sighed and waved her hand as if to ask him to explain.

Zeus cleared his throat and glanced down at the restraining lava. Hera whispered a word and the magma disappeared into the floor. Zeus took a deep breath and relaxed. "She has fallen in love. I fear I have made a mistake in her chosen husband. Though Hephaestus deserves a woman of her quality, she does not agree. She came to me with Persephone to beg and threaten. I could not refuse. I am dearly sorry."

As Zeus finished his explanation, Hera stood and walked out the grand doors with a scary and doubtful expression.

Zeus sighed, _why does she have to be so difficult? _He complained to himself and sulked over to one of the enormous windows. As he massaged his arm, which had been hit by a wall sconce, he tried to cool his head and plot what he'd do next.

Hera stormed back into the room, causing Zeus to jump with surprise. He thought she'd left to scheme something malice. She was carrying a small bag about the size of her hand. The bag was made out of some unworldly silk, too soft and precious to be real.

She pulled the drawstrings to let it gape open. An indescribable color shone out of the bag. The rest of the room went dark. The only light was coming from the pouch. Only one thing could cause this; black magic. Zeus suspected that Hera had visited some monsters recently.

Hera reached in to draw a lock of golden hair out of the bag. The glowing strands were tied with a red lace bow. With the bundle in her hand and the bag left on a near table, she approached a wall with a mural of a waterfall. She touched the tips of her fingers to the wall and more heavenly light glittered from where her fingers felt the picture.

Water tumbled down, making the waterfall come to life. It grew out of the wall. Hera stepped back, not astounded as Zeus was. He had never seen magic like this before. As the water crashed down, it didn't hit the floor, it disappeared. As if there was a large, invisible hole it went through. The water didn't wet anything either, making Zeus ask himself if it was even real.

Hera dropped the lock she clutched in her hand. It fell softly, almost weightlessly, only to be overcome with the water.

The second the water made contact with the odd item, the waterfall dissolved into blackish purple fog. A picture formed in the dark substance. It focused after a few seconds to show a woman, a young woman. She was with a man.

Aphrodite and Apollo formed, looking the same but different. The two were standing on the side of a street, looking into each others' eyes longingly.

Hera squinted at the picture, not believing what was right in front of her. She waved a hand over the scene as the couple kissed. Everything disappeared. The waterfall was once again paint and all was normal. Hera looked at Zeus.

His eyes were sincere as he watched the clouds above them soften. Sun rays shone through to glitter on the jewels around him. Hera glided over the space between them. She grazed his cheek with her lips and whispered an apology.

After he nodded his head in forgiveness, she straightened and closed her eyes. As she raised her arms slowly, all she had broken began to reform. The chilly air warmed and birds swooped down singing.

"So why did you agree to this in the first place?" Hera asked, still curious but not as involved as she would have been if it could affect their marriage.

Zeus's face hardened and he stared off into the distance, remembering something.

_"Zeus, what if you were wrong? You could have chosen the wrong man for her!" Zeus glared at his son. He didn't like threats, especially since this spooked the memory of how his father and grandfather perished. Did Apollo have the potential to defeat his own father? He must prove them wrong. His fate would not be a deed by his own son, he was better than his dreadful forefathers. _

_ "Just give us a chance, Father!" Apollo's voice thundered into his concentration. "Leave us alone for awhile to prove ourselves right or wrong. Please?" Aphrodite clung to Apollo's arm as he practically begged. They were a godly site, golden and beautiful. Their eyes pleaded for Zeus's consent._

_ Zeus grumbled for a moment and thought over it. If he refused, Apollo might defy him. If he did agree and was proven wrong, he'd be humiliated. Which is worse, death or being mistaken? "Very well, but we are doing this my way."_

Hera shook her head slowly once Zeus finished explaining. She wondered what she would have done in that situation.

Zeus continued gravely, "And so I decided, if their souls are really meant to be together, as they told me they are, then it would be that way in any place and form possible. They are living in America now. I convinced our dear goddess of memory to empty their minds. They have been living as if they were human."

Hera's face was struck with confusion and awe. She hadn't imagined something like this could happen. She would have never thought to even try. Mnemosyne, the Goddess of memory and mother of the Muses, had been long forgotten by many. She was a wise woman with a very prized and powerful gift. Memory is not just remembering an errand or to meet someone later, it's the cycle of life, how to survive, everything in the universe. Hera felt ashamed for not speaking her thanks to the women for quite some time. Then a question struck her and she had to speak it, "But how did you manage to make them seem human? Mortals age so much faster than we do. It cannot be possible."

"This is the interesting part. Who could achieve something so miraculous? They would have to be nothing less than... the God of time." Hera gasped. Cronus, their father, was banished by his own children. His own son, Zeus, had become the king of the Gods by scheming and battling. It was a great battle that rattled the Earth. Hera was speechless so Zeus went on.

"I told them that the only way was to beg for assistance of that wretched Titan. The pair journeyed deep into the Earth. They found him and pled for his aid. He gave in. What they offered him, I am not sure of. But Cronus would jump at any chance to prove me wrong, right? I am either in grave danger, or completely safe and worried about nothing. I guess we will find out soon. Aphrodite and Apollo are confirming their love very quickly.

"I allowed them each one part of themselves to carry on their journey. They asked for their same eyes to keep. This has resulted in a problem. Apparently each and every fiber of our beings holds our memories, especially the eyes. I attempted to mend it slightly. I've changed Apollo's eye color, hoping it would prevent at least a few memories from revealing themselves. The transformation failed to help at all.

"As they have grown physically and are nearer to the age they look on Olympus and more alike themselves than they have been since then, the sight of each other is awakening memories they share. I sent Persephone to watch over them, disguised of course so they won't be reminded by her face. Unfortunately it isn't working as well as I planned. I'm afraid they have been acting exactly as they said." Zeus's face was plastered in worry. Did Apollo have the power to overcome him if he had reason? Was he in grave danger? Well, once thing was for sure.

A question appeared in Hera's mind. "Apollo is supposed to be pulling the sun; after all, he is the Sun God. Who could take his place?"

"He did the unthinkable. He'd sworn to never let another being steer his chariot, but he has broken that promise. He has a son, from very long ago, whom he taught to control his horses. The boy is surprisingly very capable and the horses love him. After all, a couple of decades aren't very long. He thinks the boy will be able to handle the horses for that short period and I do not object."

"He broke his promise?" Hera asked, stunned by this unexpected turn of things. Apollo had almost never broken a vow, especially one with so much importance.

"Yes." Zeus replied solemnly.

"They _have_ fallen in love." Hera stated, sharing his concern.

**C**hapter 1

Persephone sniggered and wiggled her fingers at a mortal man nearby. "That one is adorable! Look at him, Dove!" Aphrodite responded to her nickname and turned her head. Dove meant love, peace, and beauty. These were all of Aphrodite's traits, which meant it was the perfect nickname for Persephone to call her.

"Oh, you are right. But I already have enough trouble on my hands, thanks to men. I do not wish for any more!" She looked away as the handsome man winked at her.

She sighed.

"Oh, just forget your troubles! We are in Paris. I am sure mortal men aren't nearly as hard to handle as confident and over-powerful Gods." Persephone stood and smoothed her purple silk dress with her delicate hands. The gown complimented her shape and flirty eyes. "Let's go," She pulled Aphrodite along and finally convinced her to dance.

Each person Aphrodite danced with was awkward and nervous. She just wanted them to act like she was normal. One actually had the nerve to make small talk.

"So where do you come from? You do not sound like you're from here." He asked with a French accent. Aphrodite could tell he was a cocky one. His accent was cute, but she liked Greek better.

"Greece," She replied.

"Ah..." He nodded his head and smiled as if he'd just been told an important secret but he'd known it all along. She hated when people did that. "I have never been there, but I've wished to. Is it beautiful?"

"Yes," She knew she was making it hard for him to talk to her, but she didn't want to talk to him. She wanted to talk to someone else.

"So how long are you here?"

"I'm not sure, I travel a lot."

"Oh really, that must be interesting! Where have you been?" He asked enthusiastically, happy he finally found something to make conversation out of.

"Everywhere," She answered and his face fell; he was getting frustrated. This woman was beautiful but extremely sour in his opinion.

"Oh…"

"Yes," Aphrodite was anxious for the song to be over but dreaded the thought of dancing with another mortal man. She wanted to dance with the sun.

"It was nice to meet you, Madame." The man said as he kissed her hand and left. The song had finally ended. She smiled and sighed, hoping to just sit in the corner and sulk. Unfortunately as soon as Aphrodite had found somewhere to hide, Persephone had tracked her down.

"Let's have fun with no worries! Please?" Aphrodite shook her head. "Fine, be a downer. I am going to go enjoy myself. Oh and by the way, your wannabe husband is here." She smiled at the muscular man walking in their direction.

Aphrodite laughed. It was a glorious sound that was both elegant and infectious. Several people around the room stopped to listen while it lasted. The man walking towards her skipped a step and almost tripped when he heard her. "Which one is it, Persephone? There are a lot." Aphrodite said but not in a cocky way, almost sadly. She wished she could find love the hard way, not just turn around to find men bowing at her feet.

"_The_ one," Persephone whispered and left her dearest friend stunned and nervous.

Aphrodite felt a warm hand, as warm as the fiery sun, stroke her shoulder. The god of sun stood behind her. She could barely think straight, she wasn't expecting him to be here. His radiating heat was something only the gods could withstand. All the mere mortals in the room were blind to it, only Apollo's invisible disguise -which all the gods wore when they were around mortals- was saving them from instant death.

"May I sit, Mademoiselle?" His voice made Aphrodite's heart melt as her cheeks turned rose pink. Her soft skin looked like it could be made of actual petals.

Aphrodite stuttered as she responded, "Aloha. Oh I mean Bonjour! Oui, you may sit, my Sun." Her fingers trembled as she nervously fixed her hair. Apollo was the only living thing, man, beast, or god that could make her nervous. Usually she was the one that made people sweat, like she was now. Luckily, Apollo was just as anxious. But _he_ wasn't caught off guard and _he_ had been practicing what to say to her in the mirror for hours. Aphrodite definitely didn't have the upper hand in this situation.

He ignored her stumble on words. "You look magnifique. That color suits you well. How did you manage to find a blue so close to that of your eyes?" Speaking of eyes, his were locked on hers in an unmoving grip. She was lost in the stormy blue intensity, unable to comprehend what was happening around her. She just knew she loved this man, not the one she was forced to marry. She knew that looking at him now is how love is supposed to feel. When she looks at Hephaestus her heart breaks slightly, because she also knows that she can never be with her true and honest love: Apollo.

Apollo lost his thought, too. If only there could be a way. He hated to feel guilty of loving. He hated scheming and sneaking just to be with someone. There had to be a way. Aphrodite and Apollo shared thoughts. They yearned for free will, knowing that there was an extremely small chance they would ever get it.

"I have to find a way," Aphrodite stood abruptly, the dress sliding on her skin made a sound you'd imagine two clouds make when they touch. She wandered around the grand room, amazed she was able to break his trance and function correctly. Apollo followed behind her, wondering if she _was_ functioning correctly. It didn't happen often that either of them could break eye-contact without an outsider's assistance. This made it difficult to keep their love on the down low.

Aphrodite found Persephone by her light. Each god had an aura that expressed their power. All different colors and feelings exuded from it. Persephone's was made of several shades of green, pink, and yellow: spring colors that meant growth. But of course, it was blind to mortals.

"Persephone, we need to speak. It's urgent." Aphrodite interrupted her. She stared at her until Persephone subdued and bade farewell to the strong, dark-haired man she was flirting with.

They made their way through the crowd of nicely dress people. Persephone followed angrily and Apollo, he was just confused. They found a quiet and private room that looked much like the room they had just left. Tapestries and sofas of red and gold adorned the room. The ceiling was also painted with such detail that you didn't want to look away.

Persephone turned on Aphrodite once the door was shut. Her hair flared around her face, the strawberry-blond locks whipping unnaturally. "What is so urgent that you interrupt an immensely interesting conversation?" Her hazel eyes blazed. Persephone rarely got angry. There were only a few things that made her mad, and this was one. Aphrodite had butted in on her fun.

Apollo went to Aphrodite's rescue immediately, even though he had no idea what for. "May I be so bold to remind you that you have a very faithful husband counting down the months until your homecoming? He deserves more respect than what you give him."

She glared at him with scarlet cheeks, threatening with her eyes. "You are not one to speak, Mr. I-love-a-married-woman-but-it-doesn't-matter-for-me-because-I'm-so-hot-and-I-can-play-a-turtle-shell!" She stepped closer to him and waved her fingers at the floor. A thorny vine was slithering though an open window nearby. It reached for his ankle, but before it could grab a hold, Apollo thrust his index finger in its direction, causing it to scorch. The plant retreated quickly, whipping and smashing. Its path was left in pieces.

"Stop that now!" Aphrodite screamed before it could get any further. She pointed to two seats, which were as far away from each other as possible. They sat obediently, not able to resist for some reason. "It _is_ urgent and might actually solve what you were just quarreling about!" Persephone and Apollo shifted in their chairs anxiously.

"We all know I do not love Hephaestus as Zeus predicted I would. And what he says goes. Imagine what would happen if I told the others," she gestured in the direction of Mount Olympus, "about this. It could be the end of his rule. The all-mighty king is not supposed to be wrong. This could mean that it is not rightfully his throne! And we very well know that any of his brothers and sisters would gladly take his place."

They stared at her, still baffled. Persephone spoke hesitantly. "What are you suggesting? You want to banish the father of your love and best friend?" She looked into Aphrodite's eyes. "I am sorry, but I cannot do that. As cocky and wrong he may be, I love my father." Apollo nodded in agreement. He was still puzzled. This didn't sound like something Aphrodite would do.

She gasped, "Of course not! How could you think I would do that to either of you?" She sighed, "This is just an idea. I know it's wrong, but I think blackmail could solve our problems." They blinked and let it sink in. Aphrodite's eyes darted between them anxiously.

Apollo sucked in a breath when he realized what she meant. "If we spoke to him about this we could do almost anything we'd like!" He grinned and leaped to his feet to pull Aphrodite into a tight embrace. They stood there happily.

After a minute, Persephone cleared her throat uncomfortably. "May we continue? If not, I want to go hug someone too." She said with a hint of humor in her voice.

Aphrodite and Apollo separated and blushed. "Right," Apollo grunted. "I was saying that we would just need two of his favorite people to convince him." He grinned, "Perhaps two of his favorite children?" He winked at Persephone. She smiled.

For the rest of the night the group of immortals enjoyed themselves. Persephone returned to flirting and Aphrodite and Apollo left to dance their special dance. They had made it up one night and they could never forget it, nor remember it when they weren't together. The steps just came back to them once they began dancing.

"So first you and Persephone will go to him and then we will?" Aphrodite asked for the hundredth time that night. She was so excited and wanted it all to be perfect.

"Yes, and right now, you and I will dance." He took her hand and led her to the dance floor. Apollo smiled his secret smile. This was a smile he reserved just for her. Then he pulled her into position and soon enough, a crowd had gathered around them to watch them with dropped jaws. Aphrodite wasn't able to dance very well on her own, but when she was with Apollo, wonders took place.

"I don't like sharing you. It isn't fair for them to watch you when it's my turn." He gestured toward the crowd and chuckled as he spun Aphrodite out. She closed her eyes as she twirled. He pulled her back in and let go of her completely. She lost her balance and at just the right second, he bent over and swept his arms underneath her before she hit the ground. "The grand finale," He whispered.

Aphrodite laughed, out of breath, and stood. "Let's go somewhere else." Apollo suggested and she nodded. They struggled to make it through the body of people trying to compliment them. Once they made it through the door, they took a deep breath of fresh air.

They strolled and admired the grand architecture and glittering lights of the city.

"Where should we go?" Apollo asked after a few quiet moments.

"Somewhere warm," She shivered as a breeze lifted goose bumps on her arms. Apollo took off his coat and wrapped it around her. She blushed again as he took her hand.

They turned a corner to find a fountain. The water tumbled down wispily. "Would you want it to be day or night?" He asked.

"Day," she replied.

"Hold on tight," He whispered and she squeezed his hand. The ground gave out beneath them as they soared through bright colors. Neither let go of each other until their feet safely reached the ground again. Their eyes opened to find a beach before them. Cami's heeled feet sunk in the soft sand. They were on Olympus Island, a place no human knew of. It was rarely ever talked about, all gods agreed to keep it a secret. Aphrodite grinned widely, not expecting to come here, she had never been and didn't know what to expect. But it was perfect.

"Is this okay?" Apollo asked as her smile made him want to yell in triumph. He loved to make her smile.

"Okay? This is perfect! Except, I can't exactly swim in this..." The instant he heard this, he was gone. Where he was standing before was now a small white slit. It glittered and she heard faint music and a woman's voice coming from it.

"Would you prefer debit or credit?" And a second later the sparkling space was gone, replaced by Apollo. He was holding a shopping bag. He took her hand happily and led her to a cobble stone trail only a few yards away from the beach. The path wound through tropical trees and plants. It ended in front of a large hut. The walls were mad of bamboo and the roof, palm leaves. Trees and flowers decorated the land around it. It seemed as if they were actually in heaven.

"Did you know that once Dionysus was drunk somewhere in Egypt and told a mortal about this place?" Aphrodite gasped, and Apollo quickly continued, not wanting to ruin her mood. "Of course he wasn't able to tell much; Zeus stopped him. But the man he told called it Paradise, and that's where that term comes from."

Aphrodite's face brightened again. The fact that she was in Paradise with Apollo made her think she'd never be sorrowful again. But deep in the back of her mind, the thought of Hephaestus itched.

They walked through some stringed seashells hanging in the doorway. What was inside was not what you would expect at all. White walls fifteen feet tall went on and on, appearing to be a great hall. Doors and windows decorated it along with several paintings and statues. Mona Lisa hung on the wall next to Michelangelo's statue of David.

"These aren't the actual things, right?" Aphrodite asked in awe.

"They are. The ones that people think are real are just replicas. We have had these for centuries." Aphrodite gaped at the art. She stroked the bust of Nefertiti and looked around again. She stopped mid-step, shocked by seeing a statue of herself. Venus de Milo stood in a bright corner of the room. One arm held a shield and the other held a mirror. "This one is one of the most treasured. The replica we made wasn't finished when it was found. It has no arms," Apollo laughed as Aphrodite stared blankly.

Several times she almost felt like fainting from shock. Many sculptures of Apollo were displayed. He seemed popular for this. There were also statues of Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, Hermes, Medusa, and Achilles. She found _Starry Night_ and _Sunflowers_ by van Gogh. _Creation of Adam_ and _Delphic Sibyl_ by Michelangelo decorated the white walls, too. Picasso had several art works exhibited. And some art she didn't even know the name of.

"What is this one?" She pointed at a painting of a landscape.

"That's another by van Gogh. The replica we made hasn't been found yet. Many of these are unknown." Aphrodite stared at him, her eyes wide.

"Why haven't I been told about this?"

"Would you believe it without seeing it?"

"Probably not... " She said as she trailed her fingers along some of the statues. She came to a marble table with several piles of old parchment. At the top of one of the pages was Shakespeare's signature. She read them in shock.

"Are these Shakespeare's plays?" She said, her voice cracking in astonishment.

"Yes, calm down though, ok?" He chuckled and stroked her cheek. "Some of the replicas we made were burnt of stolen, many different fates. So not all of these have been read," Apollo studied her anxious face. She was eager to read these treasures. "Do you want to go swimming? I could teach you how to surf?" He asked. He felt bad to not let her read them, but he knew that he didn't have an unlimited amount of time with her.

"Oh, yes. Of course, I'm sorry. I was just distracted." She tore her eyes off of the papers and smiled at Apollo. Then she forgot all about Shakespeare and Picasso. "What's in the bag?"

"You didn't want to swim in that pretty dress, did you?" He asked and handed one of the shopping bags to her. Then he pointed to a door and told her she could change in there.

"I will be out here when you're ready."

Aphrodite nodded as she walked slowly, trying not to let the art catch her eye again. She stopped abruptly and turned around. "What is the Stonehenge?" She asked. She figured that if all these wonders were known by the Gods, why not this one?

Apollo laughed again. "At first Hades was fine with his entrance to the underworld. But he got bored with it and decided he would like it better if he had something grand. He started creating it, but never finished. Many people buried their loved ones there, believing it was a door to the afterlife. It's funny, isn't it? That an unfinished project is a wonder of the world?" He chuckled and Aphrodite tried to laugh a little. How did she never learn these things? She had been alive for quite some time. She realized that being with Hephaestus; she had been locked away from the world. As she thought about the last few centuries with him she could only remember leaving his silver castle maybe a dozen times. With Apollo she learned new things every day.

She walked into the room she was directed to and found a mural of a sunset on the walls. Something caught her eye. She could see a man in a carriage pulling the sun. White horses shone brightly at the front. Aphrodite smiled as she looked closer at the man. She could see a painted Apollo grinning at her, his tight muscles pulling on the reins of shining horses. He looked like he was laughing. Aphrodite giggled quietly and forgot about everything for a few seconds.

Aphrodite looked around the room again and saw a stone the size of her fist floating in the center of the room. She gaped. It was bright orange and shimmered yellow. As it rotated, rays of light shone around the room. How did she miss this? She walked back to the door and looked around. It was gone. Then she went to where she was standing before. It was there again. She looked up and down the walls, searching for anything that could make sense of this and noticed a beam of light shining on the stone and turned around. At the top of the wall there was a small crystal window. The light beaming through the window revealed the stone only when you stood right under it.

Aphrodite walked towards it and hesitantly touched the giant jewel. Apollo's voice spoke softly in her mind. "Aphrodite." She raised one eyebrow. _What is this supposed to be? Is it just supposed to tell me what my name is? _She decided to just forget about it now and ask him later, but somehow it made her happy to hear her name from that stone. For some reason, she wanted to cry tears of joy. _What is going on! Goddesses don't have mood swings! _

"Aphrodite? Are you almost ready?" Apollo asked outside the door.

"Oh, yeah, just a moment!" She yelled as she slipped out of her dress and into the one piece swimsuit. Thankfully Apollo wasn't the kind of guy that takes advantage of the opportunity and gets a little bikini. As soon as she was dressed, she transported to her castle, being sure not to be caught by Hephaestus, she put her dress away and hurried back to the room she'd been in. Once you've seen a place in a picture, been there, or have seen it from a distance, you can go back to it anytime. Now she could visit the island whenever she wanted. Well, whenever Hephaestus would allow it.

"Oh, good, I was getting worried." Apollo asked as soon as she walked through the door. He was shirtless, only wearing a pair of swimming shorts. Aphrodite was momentarily dazed by how tan and muscular he was.

"What kept you?" He asked and noticed she had let her hair out of the fancy up-do she'd been wearing. It tumbled down like rays of golden light. He longed to reach out and comb his fingers through it. He imagined it would feel like daisy petals.

"The mural was amazing. And then the stone in the center of the room."

"You saw that?" He asked, slightly shocked. "Did you touch it?"

"Yes, it said something. Well, it was your voice. What is it supposed to do?"

All of a sudden Apollo was nervous. He wiped his hands on his white swim trunks as if they were sweaty and he looked away from her gaze. "It..." He looked at his feet and chuckled slightly. "Well what did it say?"

"I asked first." She said stiffly. She was getting kind of nervous now, too. She wondered if it told her what he deeply hated, or who he lied to. She stepped closer to him. "What does it say?"

"If it said... Just don't be mad, okay?" He looked at her and she could see the tension in his eyes.

"I promise I won't be mad." She couldn't be mad at him. She only worried about how fragile her heart was.

He looked everywhere around him, avoiding her eyes. Then he sighed and spoke quickly, as if he wasn't immortal and his life would end very, very soon. "It tells you… It tells you my deepest love or desire. Every god has a room with a stone in the center. You have one too… I didn't go in it though! I wanted you to see mine. I wasn't sure if you'd find it. I have no idea what it said. Well I have an idea, but… I'm not sure." Aphrodite crashed into him. The impact almost knocked him over. For a short second he was afraid she was going to hurt him.

"I love you, too! I love you, I love you! I love you!" She yelled and repeatedly kissed his face, leaving lipstick marks on his forehead, cheek, nose, chin, and eyes. He smiled.

"So what did it say?" He said once she was just hugging him. "We can't hear our own. We can't even see the stone. What does it look like?" Aphrodite was on her tip-toes so she could wrap her arms around his neck tightly. Apollo felt his blood circulation being cut off.

She loosened her grip on him and stood flat on her feet. Her head only reached his shoulders so she had to look up at him. "It was the brightest orange I have ever seen. It seemed like there was a mini sun inside of it. Rays of yellow and gold shone out of it and it sparkled. It was beautiful! I could tell it was you. It… It almost shows your character. It felt like the more I looked at it, the more I learned about you. Your voice was just a whisper. You said my name."

He kissed her quickly and let go, heading for the door. "Let's go swimming!"

"Wait," she called and grabbed his hand. "Where's my room? I want you to hear what it says." She said this confidently.

He took her hand and led her to her room. She looked in and saw the mural. Aphrodite stood on sea foam in a beautiful blue ocean. Naiads surrounded her singing as doves flew. White water draped over her body in the shape of a dress. Apollo gasped next to her.

"Go touch it," She told him and let go of his hand. He didn't move, he just stood there and stared. "Go!" She pushed his shoulder. He blinked and looked at her. She laughed.

"Oh, right. Okay," He walked underneath the small crystal window and his face brightened up. He smiled one of the biggest grins she's ever seen. This made Aphrodite giggle. He reached for the air; well that's what Aphrodite saw. Then he took a deep breath and touched it. A second later a tear rolled down his cheek.


	2. Chapter 2

**C**hapter** 2**

Aphrodite exhaled loudly and ran to him. "What did it say?" She yelled as she grabbed his face. She had never been as worried as she was at that moment. She was so sure that Apollo was her greatest desire.

He looked at her and put his hands over hers on his face. "It said... "

"What did it say!" She yelled again, getting impatient.

"My name," He smiled widely. When he told her this she dropped her hands and her mouth gaped. He was crying to fool her! How rude!

"Why did you scare me like that? That was so _cruel_! You don't _ever_ do that again!" Aphrodite ran into him again. Apollo hoped it would be another round of kisses, but he was wrong. She pounded on his chest, trying to make it hurt but failing.

He smiled and caught her hands. Her arms went limp and she looked up. In that moment he kissed her so sweetly. Her whole body went limp now. Apollo let go and she almost fell. He caught her and picked her up. She laughed as he carried her out to the beach. Why could he make her this happy when just a moment before she wanted to scream angrily?

"Want to get wet?" He asked. It seemed like he was trying not to laugh. His eyes sparkled with humor and his arms tensed in excitement.

"Uh oh," this was all she could say before they were falling into the bright colors again. When she opened her eyes she and Apollo were high in the air above the water, ten yards away from the shore. They splashed into the warm water and it flooded around them. The water was so clear, Aphrodite couldn't believe it. She pushed deeper into the water and Apollo followed her. They found a coral reef beneath not too far away. Colorful fish and plants adorned the seafloor. These fish had rarely felt fear, so they willingly swam to her, curious about their new discovery. They nibbled on hers and Apollo's fingers. Being gods, they didn't have to breathe to live, or even eat and sleep for that matter. It was just something that felt good to them and made them stronger. After a while of swimming and visiting the neighborhood of friendly fish, they swam to the surface.

"This is amazing! I wish I could spend every day here! Does it ever rain?" She asked, full of excitement and enthusiasm.

"Only if you want it to," He grinned.

"My goodness… this is… it is just amazing! How else would I describe it? Glorious, spectacular, awesome, radiant!

"That's enough," Apollo chuckled. "It's Paradise."

"That's the perfect word." She smiled. "I wish I had come here earlier," She then looked at him. "Actually, I don't. I think it wouldn't be as great without you." She kissed him on the cheek and began swimming to shore. "So what is this slurfing you told me about?" She yelled back to him.

"It's called _surfing."_ He said with a smile. "I'll go get the boards." He disappeared and when she saw him again, she had just climbed onto the sand. He was standing there holding the long boards. One had a picture of a dove on a blue background and the other was a sun on white.

"Perfect," She said and took a hold of the board and started walking towards the water. She began to ask what she was supposed to do, but tripped on the surfboard she was gripping in front of her and fell. The water splashed when she and the board hit it and Apollo guffawed. He dropped his surfboard and ran to her.

"Can I have a little help here, please?" She yelled, trying not to laugh, too. Apollo held out his hand and pulled her up, grabbing the board also. He was still laughing.

"Maybe I should hold the board for you," He laughed even harder. Seeing him so happy made her chuckle, and then she realized she should defend herself.

"Hey!" She tried to look angry. "Do you prefer brawns or beauty?" She laughed, failing to be mad and hopped onto his back, her arms around his neck. "Take me slurping, loyal steed!" She laughed and pointed to the horizon.

"It's_ surfing_, damsel in distress." He laughed and began walking, holding onto the bored with one hand, and her leg with the other.

"Right, surfing," She smiled and kicked her ankle softly into his side. "Giddy up!"

He reached the point where the water was to his waist and yelled, "Oh, no! I think I might be falling!" And they crashed backwards. Both laughing too hard to stop, they surfaced the water choking, which made them laugh even harder.

When they caught their breath and got rid of most of the water in their lungs, Aphrodite wagged her index finger at him as if he was in trouble. "You're a bad horsy! Not a loyal steed!"

As she said this Apollo ducked into the water and grabbed her by the waist, stood, and slung her over his shoulder. He ran deeper into the water and dived. They laughed and choked again. Soon they attracted the attention of a few dolphins. The dolphins joined the fun, pulling the couple with them, deeper into the water. They found more fish and even a cave filled with jewels.

When they returned to the beach, they retrieved her board had washed back to shore. "Okay, naughty pony, it's time for you to teach me how to spurf!"

Apollo laughed and grabbed her face gently. "Aphrodite, it is called surfing. Say it seven times. Surf, okay?"

She giggled and repeated it seven times, getting it wrong a twice. Apollo chuckled, threw the board into the water, walked behind Aphrodite, ducked under her, and stood. She was now resting with a leg on each of his shoulders. She felt like the little girl on her dad's shoulders she had seen once. She yelled with delight and held on tight. Apollo walked into the water again, his hands wrapped tightly around her ankles. He followed the board as it floated further from the sand. The dolphins discovered them again and splashed them with water, making happy sounds and jumping.

They were now deep enough that Apollo's shoulders were only a few inches above the water. Aphrodite slipped into the water beside him and reached for the board floating a few feet away. Apollo watched her try to get on it. She slipped off when she tried to pull herself up and when she was finally on, the board flipped over and she was under water for a few seconds. Apollo stroked her back as she tried to get on again. She fell into the water and giggled. "Don't distract me! That isn't fair!" She said as she turned around to him.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is it hard for you to concentrate when I do that?" He smiled crookedly, making Aphrodite lose track of her thoughts for a few seconds.

"Let's see you try," She snickered and moved away from the board. Apollo laughed nervously as he held the board in front of him. He heard Aphrodite move behind him. As he went to swing his leg over it, she touched his neck for a short moment. His hand slipped and he splashed back into the water.

Aphrodite laughed and he stood again, blushing. "Okay, so it's not that easy. Come over here and I will help you. Watch me do it, okay? And no cheating!" She laughed and stepped closer, watching. He swung one leg up and over. When was firmly seated he smiled down at her. "Did you get that?" He asked as he got off again.

"Yeah, I can do it." She said confidently.

"Okay, I'll help you."

She held onto the bored and swung her leg over, just as he did. Now that she was lying across the board, she felt Apollo's hands on her waist and realized he had helped her on. Suddenly she slipped to one side, surprised by the physical contact. His hands tightened and he pulled her back into balance. Then he scooted her forward and climbed onto it too. Their legs were touching and her back rested against him. His chin was just above her head on her left side.

"Now that we're on, lean forward and paddle with your hands. Can you do that?"

"Of course I can," she almost stuttered when she leaned her stomach onto the board. He was leaning onto her back, in order to reach the water and push the board forward. Once they got to where the waves were five or six feet tall, they stopped. They paddled until Apollo said they had gained enough speed. He turned the board when he saw a wave nearing; it was ready for the water to take it away.

"Now lift you right knee up and slide it under you," He said and she did. "Lift your left knee. Okay now keep your hands on, but try to stand up. Don't worry, I have you." She stood and let go with her hands when he told her she could. He was holding onto her thighs, so she wouldn't fall. A second later, they were standing together on the board. He had somehow moved her over so she was standing sideways and had to turn her head to see what was happening in front of her. Behind them a wave grew and they surfed alongside it. He held her shoulders and slid his hands down her arms until they found her hands. He pulled her hands out so each one was sticking out like scarecrow.

Apollo leaned forward and backward, moving the direction they were going. Aphrodite just let him push her. The wave wall climbed over them, making a narrow tunnel for them to travel. She laughed and looked back and up at Apollo. She kissed his cheek. _Uh oh_, he thought, as they tumbled back into the wave. The water crashed over them, waves tumbling over their heads repeatedly. When they finally reached calmer waters, they smiled at each other.

"I like _surfing_," Aphrodite told him.

"We didn't actually do it right. Plus, you cheated."

"What? No I didn't... " she said sarcastically.

"Kissing falls into the distracting category," He laughed and grabbed hold of her hand. For a moment she saw bright colors and then she was lying on the sandy beach, Apollo next to her.

"Where's the board?" Aphrodite asked and chuckled as he moaned and disappeared again. He returned and dropped the surfboard in the sand. Then he stood over her and shook the water out of his curly blond hair. She screamed and laughed as the cold droplets hit her warming skin.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I _distract_ you?" He asked with sarcasm heavy in his voice. He sat in the sand behind her.

"Yes, now we're even." She rolled onto her stomach and looked at him. "Thank you," She smiled, dazzling Apollo.

"Why are you thanking me?" He asked without thought.

"Why not? You taught me how to surf. It was fun, I loved it, and so I am thanking you."

"Oh, right. Well thank you for being my student. You are a good one."

"You're a good teacher." She smiled and remembered something that had been bothering her for awhile. "Apollo, if I ask you a question, would you answer truthfully?"

"I couldn't lie to you."

"Well, I know I have a reputation, I think it's just because of the goddess I am. But you must know this. I would never love Ares. He is a dreadful man. If I am goddess of peace and love, why would I want someone who only thought of hate and war? And _why_ would _anyone_ think that _Eros_ is _our_ son? That is the most _ridiculous_ thing I have ever heard! I thought everyone knew that he is an orphaned boy I found! He had quite extraordinary matchmaking powers which I showed to Zeus. He immediately demanded he become immortal." She huffed and asked, "What did Zeus tell everyone? It's absurd, the way we can't trust each other!" Her face saddened. She'd heard all the nasty rumors spreading, even locked up in her metal castle.

"I believe you, unfortunately no one else does. Well, except for Persephone. So what happened that day when Hephaestus caught the two of you together?" He asked sympathetically, he was dying to prove the rumors wrong.

"I'd heard he wanted to make war again. I didn't want him to; I told him if he did, something terrible would happen. I said I would make him fall in love with someone who would make his life miserable. Unfortunately I was wearing the golden girdle Hephaestus made for me. I really hate that thing. I only wear it because I don't want to disappoint Hephaestus. I already get enough attention, I don't want any more!" The golden girdle was a gift she had received from Hephaestus. It had magic on it that made her even more irresistible.

She went on gravely. "He kissed me. I tried to push him away but he was too big and strong. Thankfully Hephaestus showed up! I don't know what I would have done without him. It was such a brief kiss anyway, only five or six seconds. I can't believe that Hephaestus appeared at just that moment!" Apollo touched her hair, amazed that even after all the water and sand, it wasn't tangled of messy.

"Hephaestus really isn't a bad man. I am just not the woman for him. He needs someone he can talk to about his blacksmithing. I am not a big fan of metal and rock. I prefer a rose rather than a necklace. He flatters me with things like that often. I really wish his effort didn't go to waste." Aphrodite sighed and looked at Apollo.

He stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I'm sorry. I understand. I don't have the best of reputations either. Hardly any of it is true. I wish those silly humans wouldn't go about telling lies about us."

"You're right. And what makes it worse is that the other gods believe it, even though they must now how humans lie so often, even about them! Humans really are miserable people. I wish Pandora didn't open that dreadful box."

Apollo laughed.

"What's so funny?" Aphrodite asked.

"Hermes was the one to deliver that to Pandora. He didn't want to. He _begged_ Zeus not to make him give it to her. The only reason Hermes gave up and obeyed was because –don't tell him or anyone else I told you- he just wanted to see how Pandora looked. He is quite weak when it comes to beauty."

Aphrodite laughed. Only Apollo could make her happy during a conversation like this. "So tell me that long story about when Hermes was a child."

"Okay," He grinned. "But he wasn't just a child; he was a new born baby. One night I was away from my cattle. Hermes was only born the day before. As soon as his mother fell asleep, he came up with a plan. While I was gone he stole fifty of my best white cows. To make sure I didn't know where they went, he wrapped bark around their hooves so it would disguise their hoof prints and tied brooms to their tails so it would sweep their path away. He was quite the prankster. He even tied bunches of branches to his own feet to make large footprints that led me to believe a giant had come for them!

"When I found they were missing I discovered from an oracle that the baby Hermes had stolen them. I found him in his mother's cave, pretending to sleep. I demanded where he put them and he lied, saying he wasn't capable of this, being so young." Apollo shook his head at Hermes' foolishness. But he still smiled. "I wasn't fooled, so I took him to Olympus and ordered the other Olympians to come to my aid. They all found it funny, but Zeus knew that Hermes had done it and commanded him to give my cows back. He wanted us to be friends because we were two of his favorite children.

"Hermes led me to a forest where I found forty-eight cows. I was so angry when I found out that two were missing. Then he began playing a lyre he had made from a turtle shell and cow entrails," He and Aphrodite laughed. "It made beautiful music though; I wanted it so bad that I gave him my whole herd of cows, even my wand. He put the magic wand to good use though, now he helps those who are ready to die leave peacefully to the underworld. After this experience we became the best of friends." He smiled and looked at Aphrodite.

"That's a nice story," She said happily and rolled back onto her back.

Day was passing quickly, which made Aphrodite unhappy. She was enjoying her time with Apollo and didn't want it to stop. Who knew when she would get another day free like this?

"Are you alright?" Apollo asked and his eyes were full of worry.

"I don't know when I will see you or Persephone again, or even _the world_. Hephaestus has me tied down so tightly. He is worried the rumors of me and Ares are true. If he really loved me, would he not believe my story above all others?" Now she was mainly talking to herself again, she didn't realize how Apollo looked at her as she continued. "I just wish… I could have the freedom to fall in love, not be told _who_ to love. It isn't fair… The humans are lucky, I think." She looked at Apollo as if seeing him for the first time. Her cheeks turned pink and she looked away.

The sky was getting darker; it was almost time for Aphrodite to serve dinner. Hephaestus insisted that they have a realistic home life. She stood and dusted the sand off herself. "I must be on my way home." She smiled down at Apollo.

"What if you and Hephaestus came to my home for dinner?"

"No, that is impossible."

"Why? I haven't talked to Hephaestus much and I would like to get to know him a little better." Apollo stood.

"No, Apollo. It wouldn't work with all three of us in the same room. If you really want to get to know him, you should know that talking to him while he ate would be the worst way. I need to leave, thank you for the fun I had. It was wonderful." Suddenly the space between them was growing tense. She wished that farewells could be as much fun as the rest of the time.

"Anytime, please find me when you can." He stepped closer to her, smiled sadly, and kissed her forehead. "It was lovely." Apollo whispered, and he was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**C**hapter 3

Aphrodite walked into her grand kitchen. Her bare feet felt the hard decorative steel floor. Everything in their home was a creation by Hephaestus. This meant that everything was metal, except for the clothing and blankets. She shivered and put a few logs in the iron fireplace. _Metal can be so cold_, she thought.

As Aphrodite cooked a large meal for her and her husband, she sang. This was routine, Aphrodite loved to sing, especially when her phoenix sang with her. Hephaestus had allowed one animal to keep her company. She had named the bird Doro. Doro means gift in Greek. And Doro _was_ her gift, one of the only gifts Hephaestus had given her that Aphrodite had liked. In fact, she _adored_ the bird. Aphrodite couldn't sing any tune that Doro wouldn't be able to sing back to her immediately. Doro would even learn words and phrases just as quickly.

"Hi Doro," Aphrodite said as she tickled the birds belly. Doro was perched on a branch of gold. It was shaped to look like vines tangled along a branch. She kissed the birds beak and fed him a mouse tail; his favorite.

Hephaestus had bought the phoenix from Apollo; after all, it was the sun bird. Aphrodite had not understood why he sold his precious bird until he had confessed his love for her. Hephaestus still thought it was because he'd given Apollo a golden saddle for his horses.

Once Aphrodite had set the white gold table imbedded with emeralds, she sat down at one of the twelve white gold chairs. Ten of the twelve chairs were very rarely ever occupied; they were just there in case of Olympian guests. Aphrodite whistled three soft notes and Doro flew straight to land on her shoulder. "If only we could have a real conversation."

"It's okay," He said, having a hard time pronouncing the letter _s_. Doro tickled her cheek, making kissing sounds. Somehow he sensed her mood. "I love you," he said, and he bobbed his head. He could talk back to her, but he only said things that he thought would help her mood. He didn't always understand words, but he never mistook how she felt.

"Aw, you're too sweet. I love you, too." As she waited, feeling lonelier than ever, she stared at the walls around her. The dining room was the most embellished room of the house, quite beautiful if you are the kind of person that appeals to man-made things. Aphrodite on the other hand, loved natural, warm, bright things. Every decoration was shiny, hard, and cold. In her point of view, it was unwelcoming. This place would never feel like home.

Doro cuddled closer into her neck and chewed on her white top. She had changed into a soft, white sweater and black dress pants. She was trying to look her best-and innocent. If she behaved as Hephaestus dreams she should, she might get a day out sooner.

Aphrodite looked at a clock on the wall. It was 5:38. Hephaestus was eight minutes late.

A cold draft flooded through a window on the wall behind her. Every wall was made of platinum. More emerald jewels made patters on the metal. A chandelier hung directly over the table. It, too, was adorned with emeralds. She stared at the hard floor. More white gold, shaped as tiles. No one could object to saying the room was gorgeous. Not many rooms could exceed the beauty in this one just using metal and jewels. But Aphrodite could think of dozens of ways to make a more magnificent room. Flowers: a lot of them. Flowers, bright colors, soft materials, warm chairs, and scenic pictures. A dreamy place would make her much, much happier. She had often fantasized of having her own room to decorate. But she didn't have the nerve to ask Hephaestus.

He had a temper, though he'd never hit her, he often said things that made her cry when he wasn't watching. He had never been good socially, he just needed practice. Aphrodite couldn't get him to talk to people though.

The sound of a door opening startled Aphrodite. The clanking of the robots supporting him came down the hall as she stood. "Hello, I will go wash up now. Forgive me, I am late for dinner." _Fifteen minutes late, to be exact_. She thought to herself. He walked toward her and kissed her on the cheek, his harsh red beard scratching her face. This caused Doro to grumble under his breath. He had never liked Hephaestus and hated to be near him, or even see Aphrodite close to him. As often as she talked to Doro, trying to get him to like her husband, he wouldn't budge.

"It smells delicious. Thank you for waiting, I hope it wasn't for too long." He said and she smiled. She loved this gruff man as a brother, and nothing could change that. Oil and dust plastered his hands. His forehead was streaked with dirt, as well as his dark overalls and T-shirt. Aphrodite didn't do his laundry, she had tried, but now she only burnt it and bought him new clothes. After one day of work, his outfit would be helpless. When Hephaestus was gone, she would keep the fire going with his clothes, so they wouldn't go to waste. It also saved wood.

"Of course not, dear. Just put your clothes in the hamper." She poured a glass of milk for him and dished his plate. The table was full of food, mostly meat. The few vegetables and fruits were for her. Hephaestus would only eat a small amount of them, and only if Aphrodite forced him to. "Meat is protein, but it can't give you enough energy everyday to do what you do. It just isn't very healthy. Eat that banana!" She would say, and he would grunt and take a bite of an onion instead. He definitely did not have a sweet-tooth.

When he sat down to eat, Doro was returned to his perch in the kitchen, and Aphrodite had everything ready to eat. "How has your day been?" She asked Hephaestus.

"Busy," This was the usual answer she heard at dinner. "Zeus has asked for yet another carriage. Where have all the others gone to?"

"Oh, I am sure people have seen them and demanded to buy them immediately. Who wouldn't?" This was her routine answer, being positive, being a good wife, being helpful, being happy, and being a liar.

Hephaestus grunted. This meant that he knew she was right and he thanks her for that. Well, she hoped it meant this, but she wasn't sure. After many years she had just told herself that that was the meaning, she had lost count of how many times she's heard it.

After a long period of chewing, forks clanking, and refilling glasses, Hephaestus spoke. "How has your day been? Did you enjoy your time with Persephone?" Aphrodite could hear the suspicious tone in his voice, even though he was trying to hide it.

"I had a wonderful time. We saw many beautiful places together. It was fun, she is such a laugh."

"What else did you do, other than site-seeing?" He asked, digging for more details. She felt like she was being interrogated.

"Well, we went to a restaurant in America, found a few beautiful dresses in a boutique in Paris, and oh! I found gorgeous silver earrings; I thought you might like to see them. They have a very unique craftsmanship." She removed a dangling ring from her ear and walked to Hephaestus, who was sitting at the other end of the long table in a shining chair. He studied it as he held it in his hands gently.

"Oh, you're right, it's quite different. I've rarely seen anything like this. Every few centuries you find a blacksmith that is fairly talented. Do you know the human that made this?" His brow was creased as he continued to inspect the small piece of metal. It amazed her how this could entertain him so much.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry. I didn't have enough time to find this person. I searched, but I had to return to prepare supper. Forgive me?" As she said this, she hoped this would be reason enough to have another day to be free. In fact, she had found the blacksmith; it had actually been a woman. This would boggle Hephaestus, he had only met a few women that blacksmith and he thought it rather odd. "I discovered that the maker is a woman. I almost found her, but I had to be home…"

Hephaestus contemplated. He was always eager to meet women like this. He'd try to understand why a woman would do a man's work. "Well, if you had a few days to roam with _Persephone_," He emphasized her name, making it clear that she would only be with Persephone. "Would you be able to find her?" He asked slowly, afraid he might be making a wrong decision. He always loved making Aphrodite happy, though for some unknown reason, he didn't do it often. He couldn't put his finger on it.

"A _few days_!" Aphrodite grinned, she'd done better than she thought she would. She was only expecting one day. trying to hide her triumph. That would be lovely! Yes, I could bring her here for dinner if you'd like?"

"Yes, yes. Very well," A small smile played on his lips. Perhaps he found what she loved, freedom.


	4. Chapter 4

**C**hapter** 4**

The next morning Aphrodite woke to find Hephaestus' bed empty. They slept in different rooms; Aphrodite had made sure of that. Hephaestus didn't have a problem with it, and she wasn't sure why. She thought it might be because he wanted nothing to distract him from his work, especially not a child. Aphrodite never wanted to have children with him. She'd only have a family with a man she trusted to be a good father.

As soon as she was dressed in blue jeans and a soft green T-shirt, she appeared in front of Persephone's home. During the months Persephone wasn't with her husband, she lived with her mother. It was a small cottage with ivy growing on every inch of the wall visible. Red and yellow flowers bloomed on the vines as they twisted and tangled happily. Trees as tall as sky scrapers pointed high in the sky, surrounding their home with a forest. Almost every tree had over a dozen nests built in them. The floor of the forest was constantly alive and moving. Plants and animals grew like wildfire, even fish found comfortable homes in the ponds or lakes. Species that humans have not even discovered lived joyfully around their cottage. Persephone had a lot to miss in her dark underworld home.

Aphrodite knocked on the cottage door. Its shape was that of fairytales. The top of the wood door was rounded, and it had moss growing bright green along it. If plants had moods, which Persephone and her mother, Demeter, always said, then all these plants would be blissful.

The door opened. "Hello, my sweet Aphrodite! It is delightful to see you! You are just stunning!" Demeter smiled at her and Aphrodite hugged her tightly. She had always thought Demeter was the most beautiful of the Goddesses. Her aura was especially grand. Every bright, soft, bold, light color explained her. Demeter is happiness.

"_You_ are _picturesque_," She replied. Aphrodite had never had a mother, so Demeter took that roll and played it better than anyone else could.

She was invited into the small, cozy house. Though she had never been able to spend much time in this place, it was the only thing she would ever be able to call home. It was very open, no hallways and only four doors, besides the exits. Two were bedrooms, one was a guestroom, and the last was a bathroom. The mother and daughter may be all natural, but they'd never object to plumbing.

The kitchen, dining room, and living room were all combined into one, just as Aphrodite thought it should be. The counters were gold-colored wood, the floor was grassy, and the walls were painted soft yellows and blues. For every inch of wood, Demeter had asked permission and forgiven the tree for making it into furniture. Aphrodite didn't think that a plant would ever object, if it could, to being in Demeter's and Persephone's home. She told this to them one day and they laughed and told her that many have asked to have a longer lifespan. Aphrodite had been confused about this from that day forward, and she didn't think she'd ever be enlightened.

The couches were sewn flower petals and the stuffing made of fluffy feathers. The feathers were always the ones that had fallen out themselves, never plucked. There were no electronics, there wasn't even anything metal. The home was even bare of doorknobs. This was very refreshing to Aphrodite. She stood in the room staring at the painted flowers and animals on the walls, which Demeter and her daughter had painted together. The sweetness of it all made her smile.

"Dear, are you alright?" Demeter asked and stroked her shoulder.

"I'm perfect. It is fantastic to be back here."

"Oh, I'm ecstatic to have you, and I'm sure Persephone will be, also. Have a seat, and I will fetch her." She stroked Aphrodite's hair sweetly and walked out the door.

Aphrodite sat and took a deep breath. Pine, vanilla, mint, oak, daisy, and more glorious smells filled her lungs. She saw a stone oven in the kitchen and smelled bread cooking. This is what she imagined she would make her own room look like, if she could.

"Whoa!" Aphrodite jumped when she felt something tickle her leg. "Oh… hello there," she said when she looked down. A bright orange, baby fox stared up at her, pawing at her knee. He whined and she couldn't help put scratch his furry ears. For a short second she was afraid, but then it began licking her fingers. Soon he had pounced onto the couch and settled on her lap. Aphrodite giggled. "You're a cute one, aren't you?" She kissed his snout as Persephone burst through the door.

"You're here! How did you manage to have another day out?" She skipped to Aphrodite and hugged her snugly. "How was it with Apollo? Where did you go? Have you seen Hephaestus? What did he say? Does he know where you were?"

She didn't give time for Aphrodite to answer, so she just cut in. "No, he doesn't know that I was with Apollo. I managed to keep that a secret. And we went to Olympus Island." She grinned broadly.

Persephone squealed, "What did you think? How was it? What did you do? What was your favorite part? Tell me _every_thing!" Aphrodite held a hand over Persephone's mouth. She sat on the couch and noticed the fox on Aphrodite's lap. "What are you doing, Coda? Are you bugging our guest? Silly pup, shoo!"

Aphrodite laughed, "No! He's sweet, let him stay!"

"Okay, go on then!"

"Alright, well the island was… extraordinary! Why didn't we go a _long_ time ago?" She asked sternly.

"Well, I'm not sure. I guess I wanted it to be more special for you… I went with my first love; I was just a young girl…" Persephone smiled shyly.

"Oh, okay then. So he taught me how to... What was it called? Slurp, sluf, spoof?" Her face twisted in concentration. "I am sure it sounds something like that, wait, maybe it was… No."

"Surf?"

"Yes! Surfing, he taught me how to surf. Well he tried and I didn't do very well," Aphrodite he blushed because she was embarrassed, but also because she was thinking of how sweetly he dealt with her. She changed the subject uncomfortably. "The art was baffling! Just _why_ has no one told me about all of this? It was marvelous! My favorite part was…" Her cheeks turned pinker as she wondered whether or not she should tell Persephone. "Well…" She rubbed Coda's belly as he sprawled on his back.

"What? Tell me!"

"I heard what his desire-stone-thing said." Her face flushed pinker as Persephone jumped up screaming and laughing. Scaring Coda, he flopped off Aphrodite's lap and yelped. The two girls were laughing so hard their stomachs hurt when Demeter walked in holding a lime-green rabbit.

"What are you two going hysteric for?" This caused them to laugh even harder. Coda had started running in circles, chasing his tail. Something had attached itself to the end of it and Coda couldn't catch it. Demeter walked over to them and giggled too, seeing how Coda got so frustrated. She laid the rabbit on one of the sofas and let him sleep.

"Don't let the poor cub suffer any longer," Demeter said and laughed. Then she bent over and picked Coda up. She found a creature hanging on for dear life.

"What is that?" Aphrodite walked over to her and stared with astonishment at the golf ball-sized animal.

"We call it a Sepho. Persephone found it as a child, so she named it after herself. She said it in the cutest way, too." Persephone sighed; she'd grown tired of how often her mother would praise her.

"Anyway, it's like a miniature koala, but it lives in forests like ours. They're quite tame and very cuddly too. I believe this one is named Jiminy." Coda looked at the Sepho and licked it, as if it was family.

"It seems like hate is a foreign word here. Is everything tame?" Aphrodite asked, still entranced by the Sepho. Jiminy looked like a koala but with pure white fur, bright blue eyes, and a long tail that appeared somewhat like the fox's next to him.

Demeter laughed as she bent down to let Jiminy wander. "The food chain still exists here, if that's what you're asking. Animals prey on other animals. But overall, it's peaceful." Jiminy crawled through the tall shards of grass with difficulty, many times he stumbled and uttered a shy squeak. Aphrodite and Persephone sat on the petal couch and Demeter sat on a rocking chair.

"Do you name every animal?" Aphrodite asked.

"When we see them, we name them. Usually we remember what their name is, especially if we see them a lot. Jiminy and Coda like to hang around here often, babies generally do. They were both only born a few months ago," Persephone said as Coda hopped onto Demeter's lap and licked her face. She pushed his nose away and tickled his chin.

Persephone took a deep breath, trying not to laugh again. "So, what did his stone say?" She asked.

"I'm sure you already know," Aphrodite smiled and found Jiminy cuddling up to her foot. She picked him up softly and stroked his back. He only weighed a few ounces in her palm.

"Wait, you heard whose stone say what?" Demeter asked abruptly. Persephone explained all she missed as Aphrodite marveled at the little creature in her hand. Soon he had rolled over and let her gently stroke his belly too. He whimpered happily.

"I want one of these!" She interrupted. Jiminy climbed down her arm and onto her shoulder. Then he curled up right under her ear and began chewing on her hair. Aphrodite heard him purr as his little body rumbled.

Demeter and Persephone chuckled quietly and Demeter spoke, "He seems to like you very much, you can have Jiminy, if you want. It's best to get them while they are young, if you plan to house train him."

"Oh, thank you so much. He is _adorable_! Do they all have the same white fur?" She asked as Jiminy climbed down her back.

"They range from black to brown to red to blonde, mostly just our hair colors. White isn't very common, so he's pretty unique. Let me warn you though, sometimes they get lonely. If he ever starts to act strangely, it's normal. You may have to get a female for him. Let me tell you, new born babies, maybe just a week or two old, are the cutest." Demeter winked, set Coda on the ground, and stood. "Would you two like a snack? I just picked some strawberries and I think the bread is almost finished."

"That sounds great, thanks Demeter."

Once the three goddesses had finished catching up with each other, Demeter called for Hermes. All you needed to do was whistle a certain tune and he'd come. The messenger of the gods was there in no time.

"Aphrodite! I haven't seen you in quite awhile," Hermes said as he gently hugged her. He was a short, muscular man with a square chin and a long nose. His hazel eyes were large and he had thick brown brows that arched happily above his eyes. His collar-length hair curled frantically, windblown. He was the picture of innocence and generosity. Many people had only ever imagined him in his toga, gold winged-sandals, and hat. They were half right. Hermes was an extremely traditional god. He always wore his outfit while on the job, and he'd never stop. But other than that, he was pretty normal.

"Hermes, it is great to see you," Aphrodite said and she hugged him back. Rumors had also found their way around that she had once had a love life with him, too. Aphrodite found this laughable. Hermes only seemed like a younger brother. "How have you been?"

"I can tell you _where_ I've been, _everywhere_! I swear Zeus's new hobby is irritating me. He has me sending senseless messages to the underworld, the outer world, every world! At times like these I wish that he had never created more planets and living things. Isn't just this universe enough?" He wiped the back of his hand across his forehead, exaggerating his story.

"I agree completely," Aphrodite giggled. Every day with Hermes is a new adventure. "So what ridiculous places has he been sending you?"

"Well, if you look out tonight and see those millions of stars, I'd say I have been to at least half of them!" Hermes had a power that no other god did. He could appear in absolutely any place he wanted to, without even needing to see it. He just had to think about it. Since he had this power, Zeus used him an awful lot to take him places.

"Oh, I was on Venus the other day. Your planet is not looking too well. When was the last time you were there? Because it doesn't look like Cupid can take care of everything without you," He chuckled.

"Oh dear, I wish that boy would just grow up already! I can't get away often enough to do everything on my own." Aphrodite sighed. Each major god had their own planet to make their own creations on. Eros, also known as Cupid, was supposed to be taking care of hers. They had all sorts of species and experiments on Venus. Zeus had even let her create another race, much like humans but smaller and they had wings. (Fairies didn't appear out of thin air!) Eros said he would take care of them and teach them. She should not have trusted him.

"Really, Aphrodite, all is fine. I am just teasing you. Eros asked me to. He misses you a lot." Aphrodite smacked his shoulder softly and laughed, thankful that it was just a joke. She didn't need another thing to worry about, especially right now. But she ought to visit Eros anyway.

"Enough of this chit-chat," Persephone interjected. "I really hate to get you back to work Hermes, but we didn't call you here just to hear you complain."

Hermes made a face and wagged his caduceus at her and the two bold, green snakes slithered and spat in her direction as they tangled around the herald's staff. "Of course," He muttered, the two had never got along. They often bickered like human siblings.

Hermes turned away from Persephone and looked at Demeter. "You are looking magnificent, Demeter! You, your home, and everything living in between looks wonderful," He kissed her on the cheek. "Except for your daughter…" He mumbled. Demeter wasn't only like a mother to Aphrodite. Though Hermes had his own mother, he was constantly away from her and Demeter had always comforted him when his mother couldn't.

"You are looking ever so handsome yourself. I hope that someday you and Persephone will get along. Your tempers are so alike. You could do great things together!" She tweaked his nose and walked into the kitchen, retrieving some food for him. "Would you like some bread? It came fresh out of the oven not too long ago."

"I would love some, but if I am only called here to do a job, I shan't have time," He glared at Persephone. She huffed and sat on the couch.

"Oh, nonsense, you can have a little break, right Persephone?" Demeter asked sharply.

"Make yourself at home, Hermes," she said sharply. Aphrodite took Hermes' hand and directed him to a chair.

"So, why have I been called here?" He asked as Aphrodite took a seat near him.

"I would like you to send a message to Apollo for me. Could you do that?" Aphrodite pleaded as Demeter handed him a handful of grapes and some buttered bread. He ate joyfully as he thought. Aphrodite stroked Jiminy with one finger as he tried to chew on the end of another.

"Okay, what's the message?" He asked in between bites. "And why?"

"Just tell him that I will be on Venus in an hour, for no reason." Aphrodite hoped he would avoid asking further.

"Uh huh, sure there's no reason." Sarcasm dripped from his voice. "_Come on_ Aphrodite, you can trust me! After all, I am one of the best secret keepers in the world!"

"He is _just _a _friend_ that I would like to visit with!" The moment she had said it, she wished she could take it back.

"Oh… I see. He is _just _a_ friend_. Did you hear that everyone? Apollo is _just_ a _friend_." He looked behind him right in time for Persephone to smack him.

"Shut up! It is none of your business Hermes! Get out of here and find Apollo before I _kick_ you out!" She tugged on Hermes ear, making him stand. She pulled him all the way to the door, opened it, and pushed him out. Demeter tried not to laugh, but Aphrodite laughed anyway. Persephone was one of a kind.

"Fine, but back off the toga!" Hermes said defensively. Aphrodite ran out the door and hugged him quickly.

"Thanks, Hermes. But, please, _keep it a secret_. You will hear of it soon enough." She smiled and watched him straighten his winged helmet and massage his ear.

"Of course, Aphrodite, have a good day! Oh, and Persephone," He grinned wickedly. "That dress makes you look fat!" And he was gone. Persephone scoffed and closed the door when Aphrodite came in.

"He's just… never mind. I will be right back." Persephone disappeared into her room. Demeter and Aphrodite laughed as they heard material ripping.

"She is such a sensitive girl," Demeter said quietly and gave some bread to Aphrodite. "I know the strawberry jam is your favorite," she winked.

An hour later, Aphrodite appeared on Venus. Dense rainforests surrounded her and fairies flew up to her face. "Aphrodite!" They spoke in a language that Aphrodite had created, it was much like Greek. "What an honor to meet our Goddess. You must come to the king and queen. They will be overjoyed to meet you!" Aphrodite realized that she hadn't been to Venus in over three centuries. Quite a few generations had been born and passed. The fairy that spoke to her was about as long as her face. She had black hair and white skin. She wore a traditional green leaf dress, which royalty usually only wore. Her round green eyes stared at her with awe. Her hair fell down her shoulders in tight ringlets.

"Of course I will meet your king and queen. Take me, but first, what is your name?" She asked kindly in their foreign tongue. Fairies were her absolute favorite creature she'd created. But she wished that she had created dragons before Artemis had.

"I am Princess Mae Mai. My parents have been praying for you to visit, and you have!" Princess Mae Mai held out her tiny hand and Aphrodite touched her finger to it. The fairies fingers were just long enough to wrap around her thumb. Her wide, transparent wings fluttered softly as Mae Mai led her through the trees. Aphrodite looked at the six other fairies around her. Each of them wore the same white robe. She guessed they were the Princess's protection. A blue star under a green leaf was stitched on the left sleeve of each robe. Their white faces were as hard and cold as stone, their black hair pulled into tight buns, both male and female. They all had dark eyes; the only exception was their princess.

"Princess Mae Mai," Aphrodite said and the princess turned her head slightly but kept flying. "Will you introduce me to the other fairies?"

"Oh, they are just the help. They don't have names." Aphrodite gasped but the Princess didn't seem to hear her. This is not how she wanted them to live!

"Oh…" A few of the fairies risked a glance at their goddess, they'd noticed her hesitation. She saw sadness in their eyes. "May I ask why your king and queen need me?"

"War may come upon us over a misunderstanding. And the god Eros needs you, too. He told us that we must summon him if we ever see you. We didn't think you would come, though. It's been very long since you last visited, am I wrong?"

"No, you're right." The princess didn't stop moving. The trees around them had thinned and they came to a broad, calm lake, the same color as the blue sky. They traveled at the edge of the water for what seemed like hours, but were only minutes. Aphrodite couldn't get the guards out of her mind. The slaves…

Finally the Princess stopped and looked at a guard, the fairy held out his arm. He looked at the sky in concentration and his hand began to shimmer. No, his it wasn't his _hand_ glittering; there was a key in it. He turned the key and white light flashed. The water in the center of the lake rose up and formed a constantly flowing arch. The air opened, if that was possible. It seemed like the sky was just a painted door. As the door gaped, the fairies began to fly toward it. Princess Mae Mai pulled her thumb but Aphrodite didn't move.

"Um, I can't fly…" She stared at the door in the middle of the blue lake.

"Oh, forgive me, goddess." She snapped her little fingers and another guard flew to the ground and pulled a wooden lever. A raft floated to the surface of the water. It was the perfect size for just one person. Aphrodite guessed that they had been preparing for her visit. She climbed onto the raft and was wondering how it would move when, suddenly, the heads of three seahorses popped out of the water. These weren't the small seahorses you would expect; they were as large as actual horses. Aphrodite recalled the day she'd made them, getting bored with feeling so large around her fairies.

"Whoa…" The seahorses whinnied and turned, revealing the reigns tied to their necks.

"Excuse me, Goddess. Would you mind holding on to these?" One of the guards was lugging the other end of the reigns to her. He was struggling so she quickly took them from him.

"Of course I don't mind, thank you." She smiled at the little man and he blushed, as if he was unworthy her glance. Aphrodite's face turned sympathetic, but the man looked away.

"Are you ready, Goddess?" Princess Mae Mai asked.

"I hope so." She said and as soon as the words crossed her lips, the seahorses took off. The reigns jerked Aphrodite so hard she was almost thrown into the water. She pulled back on the reigns slightly and the seahorses slowed enough for her to find a comfortable position. As she studied the seahorses, she realized that their scales were like white pearls, each seahorse had a different shimmer to their pearly scales. They could have been actual pearls, but Aphrodite couldn't recall if they were. How peculiar it was that years and years of nothing could erase happy memories.

To distract herself from the seahorses, she looked at the fairies in front of her and watched how fast their wings moved, faster than a humming bird. They reached the door quickly and Aphrodite climbed off of the raft and onto the waterfall stairs leading up to the entrance. She was afraid she would just fall through the water stairs, but the Princess assured her that she would be safe. The steps were surprisingly sturdy. _I don't remember making water do things like this… _

She paused on the stares for a moment and wondered if Apollo would come. The next moment she was afraid he didn't want to come. _Did he hate being with me? Does he hate me? So many questions!_

"Please join us, Goddess." Princess Mae Mai gestured to the door and smiled. Aphrodite walked into the brightness.


	5. Chapter 5

**C**hapter** 5**

Aphrodite blinked against the glare of the bright white light. Her eyelids fluttered rapidly, trying to get use to the light. After several moments her eyes adjusted and her jaw dropped. The world she saw beyond the light was not like the thick forests she just left. The princess led her down a hall of water, the arch just being an entrance to a water tunnel. The floor was made of water, the walls and ceilings. Sea creatures swam alongside them and cackled happily. They splashed and flipped but not one single drop reached Aphrodite. It didn't look like there was glass around them, the water just stayed in place. She looked under her and saw the purple face a water nymph. Then a green one and a blue one appeared. Several more swam under her, staring with awe. Aphrodite tore her eyes from them and reached out her hand toward the wall. Her fingers sliced through the water as she walked. A sea otter emerged to kiss (or so it seemed) her fingers. She smiled after pulling her hand back in shock. Then she realized something. Her hand wasn't wet any more.

"Uh, excuse me, princess." She said quietly and her voice echoed through the water.

"Yes?" Princess Mae Mai's ear twitched in her direction but she kept moving forward, eyes steady on what lay before her.

"Forgive me, but I don't recall ever creating or seeing anything like this. I am quite… boggled at the magic-"

"You seem to have a terrible memory. Forgive me if I offend you, I do not intend to." She stopped flying now and turned to look Aphrodite straight in the eye. "We have potions for that. I've heard stories of gods losing their memory with time. You don't remember it anymore because you don't feel like you must. There is so much time ahead of you, so why spend time dwelling in the past, right?" Aphrodite was going to give her opinion but the little fairy didn't give her time to answer. "We have twelve _Kazani_s," she rattled on, using the Greek word for _boiler_. "More or less than the twelve Olympians, but we do have a few others, just like the gods. We have the same amount because that is the power needed to rule the Earth, so that is the power needed for any feat here. The _Kazani_s are the only fairies, other than the royalty, that are permitted to use magic. They make whatever we need or desire."

Aphrodite nodded her head, taking all the information in as quickly as she could. "And… these _Kazani_s, do they have names?" Her voice was slightly sharp but the princess failed to notice, or just didn't show it.

"Yes," She said and Aphrodite was surprised for a moment but Mae Mai didn't notice that either. "They are named after the Gods. For example, Ares would specialize in war potions and weapons. Artemis would test hunting methods and make tools. Zeus is the chief and supervises all that goes on, Hera being his assistant. The others that aren't in the official group of the twelve Olympians are individuals like Hestia or Pan. Do you understand?"

Aphrodite nodded and smiled at the cleverness of it all. "Yes, but what would Aphrodite do?"

"Love potions, broken heart bandages, etcetera." Princess Mae Mai had turned and began flying forward once again.

"Wow… who came up with this?" She asked as they made their way through the scenic tunnel.

"You created the concept, goddess." The princess stopped abruptly and the fairies behind her narrowly missed running into each other. They were back in formation in a split second. Without turning around the princess said, "You must be treated immediately." With that, everything around her turned into orderly chaos. Fairies disappeared down the hall while more fairies came rushing to her.

"Princess?" A group of twenty or more bowed in front of her, asking what she needed. They wore material that covered every inch of them except their heads. It seemed like spandex, just another layer of skin, so perfectly fitted. They were all the same golden color. Symbols and words were stitched all over the clothes, each fairy having a unique pattern of letters and signs. Their hair, man or woman, had been cut short, maybe the length of a fairy thumb. Their faces were painted with symbols just like their clothes. Their eye color was white: pure, icy, white.

The Princess dipped her head just slightly and turned halfway to Aphrodite. "These are the _Kazani_s, Goddess." Aphrodite smiled and waved at the strange group but they didn't respond. Their cold eyes looked terrified and alerted, following only the princess.

"Where is Mnemosyne?" Princess Mae Mai asked sharply. A woman flew forward a bit and ducked her head. "Quickly, get Goddess Aphrodite a potion to remember her past. Get it all but ten bottles, now hurry!" Princess Mae Mai had not even finished speaking before the fairy named Mnemosyne bolted down the hall. She was out of site just as the princess told her to rush.

No later than ten seconds after she had left, the timid fairy had returned with a train of fairies wearing yellow robes and a green band around their upper-arm trailing behind her. Each held a red basket larger than their heads.

Mnemosyne the fairy came as close as she dared to the princess and said, "Other than the ten you asked me to leave, there are seven hundred and thirty-six bottles. Is this enough, Princess?" Her voice was shy and soft. This woman did not seem to enjoy her job.

"For now," Princess Mae Mai said with no expression. "Deliver it all to the Goddess's living quarters and make it all presentable. Prepare her a suitable meal and a full glass of cocoa juice," Now that was something Aphrodite remembered creating. Instead of having cocoa beans, she made chocolate grow like fruit, the size of apples. No being could live without chocolate is what Aphrodite believes. The princess was still speaking as Aphrodite remembered the sweet juice of the cocoa melon. "Remember, with the right amount of the potion poured into it. Make it so she cannot taste it. We are coming now." In four seconds all the new fairies were gone and the original guards were present. It was as if nothing had even changed.

"Goddess, is it all right if we treat you for your memory?" The princess asked, flying forward once again.

"Um… could it harm me? Is the potion safe? Have you tested it? What are the side effects?" Just because gods can't die, does not mean they can't get sick.

"No side effects. Yes, of course it's safe. We would only give you the best, Goddess. And if anything goes wrong, which is extremely unlikely, we have the _Kazani_s who know everything about healing. Don't worry. You will remember everything eventually. The potion gradually brings your memories forward in your mind. You will have glimpses and visions, nothing to be afraid of." Excitement overwhelmed her now; it was like picking up a new book and imagining all the possibilities of the story. How did gods forget so much of their lives? But she forgot all about her excitement anyway as they came to the end of the tunnel.

As they stepped to the edge of the water and the sea creatures struggled to get one last glimpse of the goddess, Aphrodite sucked in a quick breath and she couldn't let it out. She had never seen so many bright, soft, light, bold, grand, sweet colors in her whole life. But what shocked her most was the fact that she couldn't see the ground. "Welcome to the city of _Paramythakia_," Princess Mae Mai said. _Paramythakia_ is the Greek word for fairytales. _It's the city of fairytales!_ The little girl in Aphrodite made her want to jump up and down squealing, calling for a unicorn with a rainbow behind it.

The princess, still gripping her finger, pulled her forward. Aphrodite panicked; preparing to remind them she was unable to fly, when suddenly, one of the floating things around them swooped up for her to step on. Then another, and another, until finally, there was a perfect stone path formed directly to the grand, floating castle in front of them. She studied the hovering things and found they looked something like jagged marble with a layer of soft dirt and some grass on top. A few even had a flower of two. She stepped along and the stones bobbed, but never fell.

"Goddess, are you well?" The princess asked ahead of her.

"Better than well, Princess, this is amazing. Are all those like these stones? Can they move around too?" Aphrodite asked, pointing at the larger stones, none of them the same shape, holding homes, stores, mountains. It was like a world exploded into several unharmed pieces. The stones under her were only large enough for her to stand on. She studied the other floating things, measuring their sizes. She decided the largest one held the castle.

This castle looked like it was made for humans. The golden doors loomed high with soaring towers and majestic, out-of-this-world stained glass windows. Flags portraying the same emblem the servants wore on their robes, a leaf over a blue star, hung above every door, window, and balcony. Yellow and purple vines climbed up the green marble castle, sprouting blue and green flowers. Birds with four wings instead of two soared through the soft, orange sky, landing on solid, fluffy white clouds, showing off their flaming feathers. All the animals, plants, and peculiar homes fit the fairies size, all but the castle, which looked vaguely familiar to Aphrodite.

"Princess," The princess nodded her head, waiting for Aphrodite's question. "Why is the castle so large?"

Princess Mae Mai sighed. "Of all things, I thought for sure that you'd remember the castle." The fairy stopped and turned to look at her seriously. "When there was war on Earth over your hand in marriage, you stayed here for safety. We built the castle for you, hoping to make it a permanent home. Unfortunately, Zeus promised your hand to Hephaestus. No offense to you and your beloved, but we'd rather have you here with someone than so far away. But I am glad you have found love, Goddess." Uncomfortably, as if she'd hurt Aphrodite's feelings, she turned away and continued forward, accidentally brushing her hand along the dangling pink branches of a tree by a home they were passing. The branch and its leaves immediately turned yellow and started pouring water like rain. Aphrodite watched curiously, but no one else took any notice. It stopped after just a few seconds.

"Don't worry about my feelings, Princess. I am not in love with Hephaestus. I just love him like a friend. Coincidentally I am trying to find a way out of this marriage. I should not be with a man who doesn't love me and I don't love him. I have had a very lonely life, these past centuries…" Aphrodite trailed off, once again trying to remember details.

The princess clucked her tongue. "Oh, no wonder why you've lost your memory. After years and years of nothing, your mind forgets bliss. It becomes accustomed to boredom and sadness. I am sorry Goddess. I hope your stay here will relieve you of some of these troubles."

Aphrodite thanked the princess as they made their way through the doors of the castle. Once again she was astonished by the beauty of it all. Jewels and unreal plants surrounded her, along with shimmering animals, sparkling chandeliers, and witty gadgets.

They came to a seemingly never-ending wall with doors and windows of all sizes across the whole thing, hundreds of feet in the air, even. Just when she was wondering how anyone without wings would get to the doors, something she remembered the moment she saw it, appeared. It was gift from Artemis, a dragon. The hulking sky blue beast seemed to smile down at Aphrodite before its forked snake tongue reached out to travel across her face.

"Serenity!" she screeched as she hugged the dragon's long snout. Serenity had been one of Aphrodite's best friends when she was here last. The best thing about Serenity was her ability to speak. But dragon speaking isn't like talking, more like telepathy. A dragon can hear all of your thoughts and then speak to you through them.

"_Hello, my darling! It has been much too long!_" Aphrodite heard Serenity's deep, soothing voice. Her name fit her perfectly. After all, Aphrodite was the one to give her the name. Artemis had given her Serenity as just a baby, not yet able to fly. But even as a baby, Serenity seemed to exude, well, serenity.

Unable to hold in her excitement and even though it was unnecessary, Aphrodite spoke aloud. "I know! If only you could come live with me on Earth! Oh, Serenity I have missed you so much!" The dragon, odd as it seems, was much like and older sister to Aphrodite. Suddenly, the past years events hit her and she burst into tears. All she wanted to do was rage on and on about her problems. She knew Serenity would listen to her ranting.

"Goddess, are you all right? Are you in pain? What is the matter?" The princess became hysterical trying to understand Aphrodite's sudden outburst. But when the princess and Serenity made eye contact, she calmed. "Goddess, Serenity will take you to your chambers. I will not assist you but I will come to you in about four hours when we'll prepare you for dinner. Then, we will have a banquet in your honor. Please drink the memory potion and eat your lunch. It will do you much good. Goodbye." She said without waiting for a reply. Serenity told her that fairies could never handle tears well.

Once Aphrodite had arrived at her chambers, which was the highest door on the wall, atop Serenity's back, the doors swept open by the hands of two grave servants. Aphrodite gave them a sympathetic look that wasn't acknowledged. She gave up getting the attention of their sad eyes and stepped off of the dragon and onto the soft, white, sandy floor.

The room was huge. It was as large as a football stadium. In one corner of the room, waves lapped on the sand like an ocean shore. She couldn't see where the beautiful blue-green water came and went, but she honestly didn't have time to think about little details like that. She was too distracted. The towering walls around her mimicked midday, the time it actually was. Seagulls flew above the sand and around the walls, coming from paint to life and back to paint again. She couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't. The clouds in the sky moved and if you watched, the sun was setting into afternoon. On the other side of the room there was a pair of doors leading out to a balcony.

"Wow." Aphrodite said in awe. Before she got carried away she sat on a chair made of seashells at a table made of seashells. I beautiful umbrella made of a silky fabric blocked the warm sun as she ate her lunch and drank her potion, watching the room around her. It looked as if she was on a beach, even thought if she went far enough one way, she would come to a wall.

_"They recreated the beach of your birth." _She heard Serenity's voice in her head.

Once she finished eating, she passed a bed that seemed to be made of the tropical flower petals around her and took off her shoes to stick them into the water that was just a little bet warmer than room temperature. Perfect. The section of water was about twenty feet by twenty feet, enough to swim in. And it looked to get about thirty feet deep. She walked to a trunk much like a treasure chest that you'd find rubies and gold in and opened it. She was expecting some folded clothes but saw just a big black hole with a distant light at the bottom.

"_Jump in_," Serenity said. Aphrodite looked at her incredulously but Serenity just reassured her. "Trust me. You'll love it." After a few minutes of contemplating and digging her toes into the sand, she dived. Not until she felt the wind whip her hair did she regret it, but only for a second. Her head hit the softest pillow she'd ever felt and she opened her eyes. She was lying on a cushion in a closet as big as her room.

Using a word she heard modern teenagers use, because she thought it was appropriate for the moment, she said, "No freaking way," And laughed breathlessly.

After two hours of looking for the right swimming suit, she found one the same color Apollo had gotten her. She changed into it, put her hair into a fancy bejeweled clip, and stared at the hole she'd come through. Immediately Serenity heard her confused thoughts and answered.

"_Stand on the cushion and jump!"_ Serenity said in her mind. Not ever wanting to doubt Serenity again, she stood on the cushion and jumped. Jumped high, to be exact, a few seconds later, she landed light on the sand next to the sparkling trunk. "Serenity, it was _amazing_!" She screeched at the dragon who lounged sleepily on the sand with a full chicken on a platter next to her. Apparently the dragon had called for room service.

After a few minutes of Aphrodite ranting about the out-of-this-world closet, she went for a swim, only to find a coral reef. But this coral reef was different. The fish didn't have scales like on Earth, they had fur of feathers, and some were even covered with colorful flames. The coral was even different. She spent another hour swimming with these fantastic creatures. When she surfaced and saw Serenity waiting patiently, she was ready to tell a very long story of her life.

The next hour passed quickly as she and Serenity lay on the beach, Aphrodite spoke and Serenity listened. Aphrodite cried and Serenity comforted. Aphrodite laughed and Serenity laughed too. When they heard a soft knock on the door they knew it was Princess Mae Mai. They'd have to finish later.

Aphrodite bounded toward the door and opened it, surprised again that she couldn't see ground right in front of her. Princess Mae Mai fluttered in front of her, along with a team of other fairies pulling a floating cart bigger than all of them put together.

"Um… hi," Aphrodite said as they rushed in under her arm. The group of servants wore the white robe but, oddly enough, instead of the symbol on their arm they wore an intricate light-purple mask. As the fairies flew toward the closet-treasure chest, Serenity's tail came behind her and pushed her to follow them.

"_Go, they'll dress you and prepare you for dinner. Do not object. The way you present yourself to _Paramythakia_ is extremely important to them. Those servants have studied hair and face cosmetics all their lives. Just sit still, don't ask questions, and only speak if you're told to."_ Serenity nudged her forward again until Aphrodite followed the fairies into the closet.

Once she'd hit the cushion, the fairies had set up the contents of the cart across the counter in front of a mirror on the wall. When she stood up they pulled her to the counter and had her sit on a cushioned chair so she could see her reflection. The color of her swimsuit accented her eyes. Her long golden hair was dried wavy after playing in the water. All of the very little makeup she wears had been washed off. The skin around her eyes was just a little puffy and pink after crying. "Oh dear, you may have a lot of work to do." She said to the princess and the servants.

"Oh nonsense, Goddess," The princess assured her.

Aphrodite found a clock on the wall a few feet away and watched it over the next hour. They painted colorful, elaborate swirls around her eyes and put a deep red gloss on her lips and sparkles everywhere. Something that made her jaw drop was the way they put her hair into perfect, bouncy ringlets. A fairy would pull a portion of her hair tight and then spray some kind of perfume that smelled like her favorite scent: coconuts, and when they let go, the hair would jump up like a spring, perfectly curled, smelling wonderfully, and not heat damage from an iron. She silently wondered if she, herself had created it, when suddenly she remembered. She was having a bad hair day (well, as bad as it gets for a Goddess) when she decided she just wanted hair to be easy. They were all just the natural juices you found in fruit.

Abruptly she yelled out, "I made that _Coconut Curl _spray! And I made a _Strawberry Straighten _spray and _Watermelon Waver _and _Cherry Crimper_ and _Banana Braider_ and _Tangerine Twister_ and…" She stopped when she heard the princess clapping.

"Very well, Goddess! Usually it takes a few more hours for the person to begin remembering! Very, very well, Goddess." Aphrodite smiled proudly. She remembered. After a few proud seconds she realized how silly she was being. They clapped for her when she remembered something. She laughed silently to herself.

Five minutes later Princess Mae Mai told her to stand and led her to rack of evening gowns. She chose five dresses and left it up to Aphrodite to choose her favorite among them. One was made of a creamy gauzy material with deep green vines and flowers draped around it. It was gorgeous. Another was velvet and red with black pearls bunched together with large black flowers. Just as beautiful. The third was soft pink with white flowers and diamonds. Again, it was so pretty. The fourth was a mellow orange with big pink flowers and fluffy yellow feathers adorning it, the colors of the sunset. This one was exotic and stunning. She looked over the fifth. It was the stormy blue color of Apollo's eyes. It sparkled like sea water. There weren't any big flowers or jewels, just a line of seashells along the hem of the gown.

"How did you know?" Aphrodite accused, without thinking. "Have you followed me? Who told you? How could you know?" Aphrodite's breathing quickened and her fingers began to shake. Did people already find out that she and Apollo cared for each other? What was she going to do?

But the princess broke her train of thought only seconds after they'd appeared. "Serenity informed me only moments ago that you might like this dress. After all, she was the one who filled this whole closet and designed this room. We thought that would be best, since she's knows you so well."

Aphrodite relaxed and took a deep breath. She smiled at the curious, worried fairies around her. "Oh," she said. "All right, thank you. This will be the one." She nodded and took the dress off the hanger.

"Okay," The fairies looked worried still but the princess went on. "We will go prepare for dinner as well. The banquet will begin in a half an hour. Serenity will assist you. Please dress quickly and care for your face paint and hair." The princess smiled thoughtfully. "You look beautiful."

They began to leave but just before they flew up the hole, Mae Mai stopped and turned. "I almost forgot. Goddess, you have a visitor. He has been assisted to the guest chambers and will join us at the banquet. He asked me to give you a message. Would you like to see it?"

Aphrodite nodded her head vigorously. Could it be him? She thought of moaning if it turned out to be Hermes.

Princess Mae Mai snapped her fingers and a fairy pulled a large, folded paper out of the cart they were carrying. It wasn't large to Aphrodite, but the fairies, it was enormous. Aphrodite took the paper carefully but quickly. The thanked the fairies and watched them leave. The second she could no longer hear the cart rattling, she plopped on the ground right where she stood, not bothering to sit on the chair or even the large cushion. She read Apollo's elaborate handwriting. Just like several times earlier that day, she spoke aloud, unable to keep it in.

"My Aphrodite," Her heart fluttered at the words. "I was led to believe you're here. I hope you will feel at least a portion of the delight I do to see you again. By the way, your world is beautiful, no wonder it came from your thoughts. I can't wait to be enchanted by you once again." Her heart stopped as she read over the next words. "_Yours forever, Apollo," _And she screeched.

"_Aphrodite?"_ Serenity called to her calmly, reminding her that she could see him soon, only if she dressed. _I'm coming_, she thought to Serenity.

In a matter of minutes Aphrodite had wrestled herself into the dress without smudging her makeup of flattening a curl. Her cheeks turned pink with excitement, her eyes alive with anticipation, and her smile ready to impress. She looked at herself in the mirror, realizing that she really did look beautiful, a very different beautiful.

The golden swirls and designs around her face shimmered and her skin sparkled. Different shades and colors were applied on her eyelids, making her eyes look bluer than ever. Her eyelashes seemed to grow a mile. She laughed as she realized her natural creation that made eyelashes grow instantly. Her lips were the exact color of a red rose, which went nicely with her creamy skin. Adding the dress to it all, she felt perfect. The stormy blue accentuated her eyes further more.

Serenity's voice trickled into her mind. "_I hear that your eyes are Apollo's favorite part…" _Aphrodite blushed and strapped on her stormy blue stilettos. She tottered onto the cushion, hoping she'd land unharmed in the high shoes, and jumped.

Serenity awaited her, also freshened up for the banquet. Someone had applied sparkles on every inch of the dragon's scaly surface. Shimmering gold eyeliner had been drawn around the dragons golden eyes. Instead of paint, pearls had been used to decorate the dragon with the same swirls and designs they'd done on Aphrodite. Serenity looked like one of the most beautiful creatures Aphrodite had ever seen. She was so grand and majestic.

"Serenity, you look brilliant!" Aphrodite stroked her snout as Serenity smiled her dragon smile and winked.

"_Thanks, dear one."_ Aphrodite then realized how wise Serenity was. She found it peculiar that even though Aphrodite was much older than Serenity, the beast was much more sensible.

Hearing her thoughts, Serenity added, "_That is just how dragons are. We learn from our elders' mistakes and the knowledge passes on and on. We're just born with it. You, Aphrodite, are beyond your years. You are and outstanding intellectual. Remember that, little one."_ Even though she was older, Serenity had always called her "little one."

"Thanks, larger one." Aphrodite laughed and wrapped her arm as far as it could go around the dragon. They walked to the door and Aphrodite climbed onto Serenity's back. They warned each other to be careful with their "decorations" and they took off.

Aphrodite and Serenity were escorted into the ballroom by two servants, but the ballroom wasn't exactly a room. Aphrodite's jaw dropped for the umpteenth time that day as she stared with awe at her surroundings. She had walked through a door made out of a flower petal. They were _inside_ a tulip. They had stepped through one of the six dark purple petals. She was in a giant flower. Aphrodite saw wooden planks placed around the center, where the six stamens shined bright yellow, making the petals around them glow. All along the surface of the petals were more swirls like the ones on Aphrodite and Serenity. Except these glimmered and flickered with yellow light. The whole room was contrasted with light and dark, making it all magical.

"_Isn't it beautiful? You created it…_" She heard Serenity and nodded slowly, not taking her eyes off the site, wishing she could remember making this. She saw tables floating around inside the flower, almost all fairy sized, all but one. The one human-fit table had the best view of the room, right above the stamens in the very center of the flower. But her vision didn't allow her to see and details on the table.

"Look, Serenity! We get the best seat in the house!" Serenity was already eyeing the table. Aphrodite noticed she had a slightly eager expression on, but before she could ask why, Serenity looked somewhere else, high above them.

"_Not quite the_ best." She told Aphrodite. When she looked up she saw four tiny little thrones settled on a petal. The petal was bent in a bit to overlook the ballroom. In front of the thrones was a grand table.

"That's where the royalty sit?" Aphrodite said with jealousy and awe.

Serenity nodded her head.

For the next few moments the goddess and dragon stared around the room, taking in the magical room. Serenity told her they had to wait for the princess to come speak with them. In the meanwhile, Aphrodite watched fairies fly back and forth in front of her, most wearing the white robes. Actually, they all were. But they each had a different symbol attached somewhere on the robe, or, like the masks, on their body. She watched and noticed the fairies settle at tables. They sat as if they were in ranks. The higher up the table they sat, the more important the fairy was. Aphrodite found it revolting how they were all labeled. She believed everyone was equal. That's why she never, ever treated a human with disrespect, no matter what the stories and rumors say.

The pair had been standing there for some time when Princess Mae Mai flew up to them, greeted and complimented them, had Aphrodite climb onto Serenity's back, and guided them to their table.

During the latter, Aphrodite stopped breathing. The closer they got to their chairs, the more focused her vision became. She couldn't hear the Princess ramble on about the food and plans, she didn't notice the fairies pointed stares, and she definitely didn't hear Serenity land on her square of floating ground next to the table.

Apollo. Apollo was all she heard, all she saw, all she knew, and all she remembered. He smiled at her, wearing a black and white suite with a tie the same color of her dress, the same color of his eyes.

Then she was startled out of her trance by Serenity's calm voice reverberating through her mind. "_Aphrodite, breathe, for goodness' sake! Speak to him!_"

Aphrodite took a sudden gulp of air and tried to smile sanely. She climbed off Serenity, never taking her eyes off the smiling god before her.

"Hello, Apollo." She said.

"Aphrodite… hi… Did you get my message?" He asked as the chair floated closer to Serenity's platform so she could sit.

"Yeah," Aphrodite said dumbly, not thinking to thank him or reply. Well, she was distracted by how wobbly her chair was as it floated into place, closer to Apollo.

Apollo stared at her, waiting for her to go on. But as the silence grew longer and awkward, he spoke. "How do you like coming back here?"

"Aphrodite looked up and focused on him, her hands gripped the sides of her chair tightly. "Oh, it's fantastic. Beautiful, it's so beautiful. And the people are so kind." As she said this her eyes wondered to the hundreds of servants below. Her face became sad.

"Are you alright, Aphrodite?" He asked and she noted how her heart skipped a beat when he said her name.

"Oh yes, yes of course. It's just been much to long since my last visit. Things have… changed."

Apollo's face turned worried. "What happened? Is there something I can do to help?" He touched her hand sympathetically. Thinking she needed something more to stabilize her chair, she let go of it and grabbed the table as quickly as she could, afraid of falling right off and into a stamen, getting covered in pollen. But when he touched her hand, it relaxed. Her whole body relaxed actually, so when she began sitting up to scoot closer to him, the chair wobbled. But no worries, Apollo squeezed her hand, somehow maneuvered his chair right next to hers, and wrapped his arm around her back. She'd never felt safer.

"Oh… thanks." She said breathlessly. Remembering his last question, she quickly replied, "It's nothing really, there's nothing you could do, or really anyone I guess… its nothing." _That's the understatement of the century_, she thought to herself.

"Okay, if there's anything I can do, just let me know." He smiled down at her. His face was only inches from hers. He smelled like sun. Aphrodite didn't pause to wonder if the sun had a smell.

They heard something make a throaty sound and looked up at Serenity who, showing her sweet dragon smile looked slightly uncomfortable and out of place.

"_Introduce me to your, hopefully, future husband!"_ She heard Serenity say. _He better not hear that_! She thought, knowing Serenity would hear.

"Apollo, meet Serenity. She was a gift from Artemis when I told her how beautiful her creation was. I love dragons." Aphrodite smiled genuinely. Artemis was Apollo's, twin sister, whom she absolutely adored.

"Wonderful to meet you Serenity, I'm Apollo." He smiled at her.

Then Aphrodite knew they were having a silent conversation. Probably about her, some embarrassing stories or maybe how she had cried about Apollo for an hour earlier that day. What could they be saying? Aphrodite's thoughts screamed at Serenity, wishing her to stop.

"_Quiet, child, it's hard for me to hear him over you. We aren't saying anything rude or shameful about you. Don't worry."_ Immediately Aphrodite noticed how she didn't just say they weren't talking about her. She'd told her they weren't saying anything bad. This probably meant they were saying things about her, but not mean or humiliating. For a split second Aphrodite wondered why girls always over-think _everything_.

"_Better, but still much too loud. You're right, though. You are our topic of conversation. But I'm not saying much, I'm just listening."_ Serenity's voice sounded in her head. _Oh dear!_ Aphrodite thought up terrible things he could be saying about her. How much he hates her and he regrets coming to see her. How the previous day they had spent together was the worst day of his life. How ugly he thought her dress was. How he thought her hair looked like noodles and her lips, tomatoes. She felt like crying. _He thinks I look like spaghetti!_

Then Serenity's voice made her want to smile. "_Dear, look at his face. Tell me; does that expression look like he's insulting you?"_ Aphrodite looked up at Apollo, which was kind of difficult because his arm was around her still and he was quite a bit taller than her. But of what she couldn't see, Serenity put pictures in her mind to fill in the blanks.

Apollo's eyes were sparkling, the corners of his lips seemed like they were trying not to burst into a grin. His skin was slightly flushed and clammy, like he was nervous, but he was still gorgeous. He wasn't looking at Serenity; he was staring off into the distance, as if remembering something happy.

_Serenity, really? Is he really talking about me? Does his face explain his feelings? Could it be true? Could he possibly love me back? _She asked Serenity.

"_Not now, sweet girl. Later, we can stay up talking for hours. Not now, though._" Serenity's eyes didn't leave Apollo's face. She was smiling too.

Aphrodite sat there in Apollo's arms for ten minutes, watching Apollo's face, trying to fish hints and answers out of Serenity, and watching Apollo's face some more.

Finally, they heard a bell gong. It was a pretty gong, though. It wasn't too loud or obnoxious, but it got everyone's attention. The servants seemed only slightly more relaxed, but they still whispered among each other. So when everyone turned silent, it wasn't much of a difference.

When she heard a male's voice she looked up to find a round, chubby fairy, a man that seemed to be about fifty years old, if you compared to a human man. He had a pointed nose, which he stuck in the air proudly. He wore the same traditional, royal green. Thick leaves were sewn into a long sleeve shirt and trousers with gold trimming. His gruff beard had turned white long ago with only a few black streaks left. The crown of his head was bald, with the only remnants of hair behind his ears and around. As if someone had stuck tape to his hat, and when he took it off, all the hair under it had gone with, never to return. From a distance she couldn't tell what color his eyes were.

"_That is King Roctu-Poc._" Serenity told her. In Aphrodite's opinion, he didn't look very happy. He seemed like the kind of man that could never be pleased and looked down on everyone. She disliked him already, especially for the slave-holder thing. She didn't believe a man like this should reign over her city of fairytales.

He spoke through a blue tube, making his whiny voice completely comprehensible. He kept clearing his throat and making distracting guttural sounds. He was very disrespectful to his audience, if you ask Aphrodite.

He went on and on about city matters, blaming it all on the servants. Then he talked about upcoming events and informed –threatened- the servants to do well. Then finally he welcomed the guests. Aphrodite found it odd how Princess Mae Mai had made such a big deal out of her presence. She'd expected a bit more acknowledgement of her arrival than, "Oh, and welcome Goddess Aphrodite and God Apollo. Let the feast begin."

When the food was being served, Apollo slowly let go of her, being careful not to wobble the chair, and went back to his place. Aphrodite silently wished his arm was still around her. But at least he was there at all.

As they ate, she and Apollo talked casually, Serenity joining inn every once in awhile, keeping the conversation going. The food prepared for them was delicious. They had cocoa juice and water to drink. For the appetizer they ate slices of cocoa fruit dipped in vanilla frosting. The main course was a green salad with cocoa fruit (of course), carrots, bits of bacon, and broccoli. Aphrodite remembered that she hadn't changed fruits and vegetables much because she like how Earth's food tasted, much better than other planets if you ask her.

"So Aphrodite, tell me where you got your inspiration for this ballroom-flower." Apollo said as they were just digging into their cocoa fruit cobbler. (Aphrodite loved how she could eat so much chocolate and know that it was no more fattening than bananas or mangos.)

"Uh, well I don't actually remember… but they're treating me for that. Ask me again in a week or so and I'll most likely be able to answer." She replied in between bites.

Apollo's face changed to worry again. "Do you know why this happened, or how? Does it cause pain? What can I do to help?" Once again he rambled on with concern.

"Oh, no, no, don't worry. It doesn't hurt at all. I've just forgotten… little details of my life. Princess Mae Mai said it's because I have lived in emptiness for so long, my mind got used to it and just… I guess threw out my memories… or hid them. I don't know, I just know that she's giving me this memory potion and it's helping already." She smiled awkwardly at Apollo, wishing she had more information so she didn't seem so dim-witted.

"Oh… I'll have to look up on that. Anyway, if you can't remember much of creating this world, what's it like coming here again?"

"Magical! It's like a fairytale. Everything is just so impossible and beautiful, so unreal. I can't believe what I've been missing out on all these years. If I wasn't married to Hephaestus I could have been living here, having the time of my life. Even then there would be no slaves. No slaves at all. I would have never allowed my city to take such an ugly twist. When I left, the kingdom was in good hands, so peaceful…" Aphrodite's eyes opened wide, realizing what she was saying. Firstly, she couldn't believe she said all that out loud, especially the Hephaestus part. And secondly, she just remembered more! She couldn't decide if she should be embarrassed or excited. The result was sitting there red-faced, staring at her lap, tracing the sparkles on her dress.

"_Now child, don't go feeling insecure. After all you've been through you must know this man loves you. There can be no secrets. But I can't tell you I approve of you saying those things about the servants in public like that…"_

_ Sorry, it kind of slipped_. She told Serenity. She looked up and found Apollo's expression troubled, she asked without thinking, "What?"

Caught off guard, he didn't think about his words either. "I was worried that you agreed with slave-holding… It scared me. I thought you were better than that. And now you've proved that you are and that I'm a complete imbecile and entirely untrustworthy." He said apologetically.

Aphrodite's heart broke when he saw how stressed he was. She didn't want him to feel like that but she didn't know what to say. She just smiled at him.

Apollo's face relaxed and he smiled to. "Would you like to dance?" He asked. Aphrodite looked down at the dance floor and noticed some servants already making their way to it.

"Of course," Aphrodite replied happily. "Now how did you make your chair…" She began to ask but then Apollo was right next to her, holding her hand, and guiding their chairs down. She just smiled some more.

The rest of the night they danced and danced. Aphrodite couldn't get over the fact that she didn't have to go home and make dinner tonight, since she stocked the refrigerator with food to last a week. Plus, she slightly felt bad for being with Apollo and not Persephone. But he didn't have control over her, right? She shouldn't feel bad for betraying a man like Hephaestus. She deserved this.

Once again the couple was the center of attention on the dance floor, despite their size and status. They were overwhelmingly great dancers, to any species.

But the night didn't last forever. Servants began disappearing, hoping to get some sleep before the next, tiring day. Apollo and Aphrodite were left there with Serenity and the royalty. The few servants lingering to help had been commanded away by the irritating king.

"Goddess, we are so glad to have visit! We've awaited it for _quite_ some time." Now that Aphrodite could see him up close and personal, she despised him. He was fat. Seeing all the servants tonight made her realize just how malnourished they were. And here was the fat king. His little wings fluttered, struggling to hold him in the air. Sweat beaded down his forehead, Aphrodite guessed he was already exhausted, just traveling to her and flying in place like that. He snapped his fingers and a servant appeared out of nowhere, tugging a floating throne behind him. The king sat in it, a few feet away from Aphrodite's face. He had a grungy black beard and white skin. A leafy, green crown sat on his bushy black hair. The only feature that could be called remotely attractive was his brilliant green eyes.

"It's a pleasure to be back. Everyone here's been so kind-"

"Yes, my daughter is quite the charmer." He cut in.

"Yes, of course. She and all the… uh people I've met have been so dear." She said, wondering what she should call the servants.

"Goddess, they're slaves. Forgive me, but they don't comprehend kindness. Or even right from wrong. They just know they're jobs. Coincidentally that is the precise reason we need you." He smiled. His thin lips pulled tight over his perfectly white, straight teeth, turning pale. He was still sweating.

_How can he be sweating only wearing a long robe made out of leaves? The sleeves can't be that thick!_ She said to herself, and Serenity scolded her. "_Be kind, dear one. You are not a goddess of love to be cruel."_ She had a point.

"Well, King Roctu-Poc, I believe every being is equal." She said, trying to sound as respectful as possible.

"You believe that you and I are even equal then, Goddess?" A bravado voice snapped back. She looked away from the king to a strikingly young, attractive fairy. He also had black hair and pale skin. But the royal green eyes he featured were framed by long lashes and sparkled fiercely. He had a strong, square jaw and his hair was pulled back into a long ponytail. A ribbon made of green ivy served as the hair's holder.

But nobody (except Apollo) caught Aphrodite off-guard. "Of course I do. We all have the same potential. The only thing standing in your way is your short lifespan. I believe that nobody can be very happy living forever. So I give you all the honor of a short, trialed life and an afterlife of peace… and respect for all. That is, if you earn it." She looked at the king then. He blinked, fear in his eyes.

Then Aphrodite looked at the Queen standing by Princess Mae Mai. Her long pointed face was decorated with wrinkles created by frowning constantly. Her eyebrows were set in a permanent frown and her eyes were glazed over. She was a blind queen.

_The queen lost her eyesight when she was a twelve year old child- a slave child. She was delivering the previous king, King Roctu-Poc's father, a drink. Alcohol, actually… When the king saw it wasn't the type he wanted, he hit the tray, splashing it all over the Queens face, taking her sight forever. The prince, sixteen at the time, nursed her back to health. They courted secretly, until the death of the old, bitter king. Roctu-Poc married her. None of us ever thought he'd become as harsh as his father. Many thought that slaves might be free one day. I think what you said struck a nerve, an old nerve that he believed to be long gone."_ She could hear a smile in Serenity's voice. She had told her this story in a matter of seconds but it changed her opinion of the pair immediately. Her eyes softened and she wished that theirs would too.

Then the teen Prince spoke again. "Forgive me, Goddess, I meant no disrespect." His face flushed, he looked down, and his wings missed a flap and his body bounced.

"Well, I guess we'll have no help from you." He said, his face turning red with anger instead of embarrassment like his son.

"I will help with what is right. Tell me what you need, king. We are all friends here." She said, striking another nerve. Did this man believe in friends? _He has to! He nursed a poor servant girl back to health! And then fell in love with her!_

"The servants are planning a rebellion. They…. Are protesting…. They complain, saying we are equals. And that…"

"They call him hypocritical. After all… he married my mother." Princess Mai Mae said, I nodded, assuring her that I was informed.

"King, I am going to help you. But only if you let me and not the way you think. Could we move this to a more… appropriate location?" They all looked around, realizing they were still surrounded but cleared off tables and bright lights, everyone standing (or flying) but the king. He nodded grimly and snapped his fingers again.


End file.
